‘Make this the last austerity budget’

Budget 2014 must be the last austerity-led adjustment if investors’ confidence in Ireland is to grow, the Irish Exporters’ Association has warned.

In its pre-budget submission to Government, the IEA (the main representative body for the country’s 13,000 manufacturing companies) has called for more incentives for Irish companies to export and a lower and more competitive capital gains tax.

The IEA wants to see the further €500m tax take in October coming from indirect taxation, or other revenue streams, such as the 30% dividend on semi-state companies, rather than from income tax measures.