Budget 2016: ICTU lays out costed pre-Budget measures

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions created a detailed pre-budget statement in which it laid out a number of costed measures it believes would begin to make tangible differences in the lives of people who were yet to benefit from the recovering economy.

• The umbrella organisation said it wants a total of €2.15bn in public spending and tax measures “aimed at supporting economic recovery and restoring living standards vulnerable groups, including low and middle income earners”. ICTU rejected the 50:50 split between public spending and tax cuts as outlined in the Government’s spring statement. It wants a 2:1 ratio — €1.43bn on public spending and €720m in tax measures in tomorrow’s budget.

• ICTU says Budget 2016 should implement a targeted and progressive reform to the universal social change (USC). It has proposed that €300m be allocated for that purpose. It says a USC credit should be introduced for all individuals with an income of less than €70,044.