Farmers’ role acknowledged

WITH the Estimates and the Finance Bill revealing the broad strokes of the Government’s spending plans, last week’s Budget was the chance to spell out how the country’s prosperity would trickle down to the man in the street.

The Estimates revealed public spending growing by more than 7% in 2007 to €54.3 billion, earmarking the biggest spending increases for health and education. These “telephone number” amounts went over most people’s heads, but the Budget details of spending and taxation plans, including personal tax and welfare, are of much more interest to the public.

Therefore it is the Government’s best chance to give some encouragement to sectors which haven’t shared in the Celtic Tiger, such as those on welfare, or farmers, for example.