Alternative budget cuts €3.8bn without touching welfare or child benefit

THE Government can still make €3.8 billion in cuts without slashing social welfare rates or child benefit, by introducing measures such as a text message tax and “bad nutrition” tax, according to Social Justice Ireland’s alternative budget plan to be delivered today.

The fully costed budget by the charity organisation will be laid before the Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education today and social Justice Ireland director Dr Sean Healy, said it meant the Government could help the less well-off by increasing the total tax take, led by a levy of 2.5% on corporate profits and a tax on the sending of phone text messages.

He will tell the committee that the proposal to increase the total tax-take by €2 for every €1 cut from public services in Budget 2012 would not need to include income tax.