Budget bites
Noeleen Hartigan, social policy and research coordinator with the Simon Communities said: “We are disappointed that housing and homelessness was not a priority for Government in today’s budget.”
Focus Ireland chief executive Declan Jones said: “We are disappointed this Budget hasn’t done more for people who are homeless and over 48,000 households who are still waiting for provision of social housing.”
Aideen Hayden, Chair of housing charity Threshold, said: “The housing poor have been forgotten in this budget.”
ANN HUGHES, 57, from Tullamore, Co Offaly, said the increase in her Carer’s Allowance would make little difference to her life or that of her autistic and intellectually disabled, 26-year-old daughter, Debbie.
“Prisoners have more rights than my child, they have spent a fortune on Mountjoy,” she said.
THE chronic problems facing the Irish health service were virtually ignored in the Budget, according to the Labour Party spokesperson on health, Deputy Liz McManus, who said the budget did little to ease hospital waiting lists and bed shortages or speed up the “long-awaited” roll-out of extra medical cards.
THE crucial issues of farm consolidation and expansion were completely ignored by the Budget, according to Fine Gael Agriculture and Food Spokesperson, Denis Naughten.
“Neither the issue of Capital Gains Tax or Stamp Duty Relief were addressed in the Budget and no measures were put in place for those who are forced to sell land to Local Authorities,” he said.
SINN FÉIN spokesman on Finance, Caoimhghin Ó Caoláin said: “With this Budget Fianna Fáil is attempting to erase the memory of all those budgets from Champagne Charlie McCreevy, who rewarded the very wealthy and allowed the gap between rich and poor in Irish society to widen.”
“Maternity leave increases are welcome but it is a disgrace that nothing has been done on paternity leave,” he said.
THE pension changes announced in the Budget were condemned as restricting choice and reducing innovation in the pensions market by the Professional Insurance Brokers Association, (PIBA), the largest body in the country representing independent brokers.
Diarmuid Kelly, Chief Executive of PIBA said: “The imposition of a cap on pension funds and the taxation of Approved Retirement Funds will roll back some of the freedoms, introduced over the last number of years, that have made pensions a more versatile way of saving for retirement.
THE Children’s Rights Alliance has welcomed, with reservations, initiatives proposed for children in the Budget.
“We welcome the commitments regarding the important issue of childcare, and, in particular, the roll-out of a five year Childcare Programme, the increase in Child Benefit and the phased increase of maternity leave.”
“However, we now need to look closely as to how the relevant Ministers will address the important issues of quality of service, affordability and, more importantly, how each of these measures will make a real difference to children’s lives,” said Jillian van Turnhout, Chief Executive of the Children ‘s Rights Alliance.
