Trade Unions' budget plea over social provision

The Government must use the upcoming Budget to address the serious deficits in society, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions said today.

Congress general secretary David Begg insisted the funds were available to improve access to childcare, the health service, education and transport.

Mr Begg said it was time for a fundamental policy shift, away from economics to the social needs of the country.

“It is time to shift that focus from the economic to the social, from the requirements of the economy to the needs of society,” Mr Begg said.

“In the past, we’ve been told we must make the money before we can spend it. Today we have the money. Today we have the opportunity to address the many serious social and structural deficits in our society.”

The Congress Budget submission contained a number of key recommendations on childcare and the care sector, the abolition of business tax breaks, a clampdown on tax exiles and investment in health, education and public transport.

Congress, which has put off entering social partnerships talks, called on Minister for Finance Brian Cowen to introduce PRSI-based paid parental leave benefit.

The trade union body also demanded the restoration of maternity benefit to 80% of average industrial earnings.

Mr Begg said increasing investment in capital allowances and staffing grants would help improve the supply of childcare places up to a target of an extra 15,000 places per year.

Congress also called for the completion of a report, agreed under Sustaining Progress, to examine how to improve the availability of childcare for working parents and how the supply of pre and after school care could be accelerated.

On the issue of tax, Mr Begg said most tax breaks for business, especially property-based ones, should be immediately abolished.

And he insisted tax bands should be altered to ensure those on average industrial earnings pay no more than the standard rate of tax in 2006 – raising the single person’s tax band by €2,600, to €32,000.