Jobless families dealt the most savage blow of all

SINCE the budget was published yesterday there is a category of Irish people that I cannot get out of my mind.

People have been asking ‘how much are you guys down?’ and ‘how much will you lose?’ and while I will certainly have to cut my cloth to suit social charges, tax band and children’s allowance reductions, I will not be worrying about whether I can replace my child’s burst runners or fretting about how to tell my child that they can’t do transition year as I can’t afford it.

While my salary will take another battering next year, my children will not go hungry, my mortgage will be paid and we will all be warm. While Christmas is strictly budgeted this year, I haven’t been worrying about it since the kids returned to school.