Julie Jay: My vote can be easily bought

Diesel may have replaced sauvignon blanc as my fuel of choice, but this budget does little to alleviate the struggle of a professional clown

The tax break of €800 for renters is not adequate when everyone is paying extortionate sums. 

It was either the poet Rumi or J Lo who once said: “My love don’t cost a thing,” but whoever did utter this immortal line I would have to disagree with them strongly.

My love and my vote are easily bought — indeed if any local TD in West Kerry is reading this, I am specifically on the lookout for a new capsule wardrobe. Saving that, a house. You know what to do.

Back in my childless, carefree single days, at the youthful age of 34, I took zero notice of the budget, in fact, I made a concerted effort to avoid it.

My main concern was always the cost of sauvignon blanc and cigarettes, not because I ever smoked, but because it gave me something to talk about with members of the opposite sex as I loitered around smoking sections, always with a lighter and emotional availability to hand.

Now, the budget is something I take note of because my parents have stopped paying for stuff. The proposed reduction in childcare fees is the one that has my heart skipping a beat, but like so many things Irish men and governments have promised me down through the years, I won’t allow myself to get excited until it comes to fruition.

The tax relief to landlords, applicable only with the caveat they must not put their property on the market, will hopefully decrease the chances of tenants being put out onto the streets, but the fragility of our status is still the main issue for us, as the generation of renters. 

The whole thing continues to whack of Les Misérables minus the catchy tunes.

Parent renters are particularly vulnerable, with many I know having had to find much-coveted accommodation in a school catchment area at short notice. 

The tax credit of €750 for renters is not adequate when everyone is paying extortionate sums. 

Rent is what is killing so many parents, financially speaking, and the budget does little to alleviate that.

Mortgage tax relief is no doubt a welcome addition for many, except those of us who haven’t managed to acquire a mortgage.

Energy credits are going to be helpful for sure, especially coming up to Christmas when I have lost the run of myself with the online shopping for the aforementioned capsule wardrobe. 

That said, they don’t go far enough. 

Our house is particularly bad for energy costs because we don’t believe in climate change. I’m joking, of course, but that said, I wouldn’t say no to a sod of turf.

Living in West Kerry and having to travel so much with our family circus means that diesel is still the big outgoing for us, and unfortunately, this budget doesn’t change that. If only I could pull a Garth Brooks on it and commute to Dublin on a chopper.

Here’s the thing: Most people believe in paying taxes, the very bedrock of the budget. 

Taxes fund social supports, and how a society treats its most vulnerable is surely the measure of any country. 

What frustrates so many of us is when they are not spent the way we would like to see them spent. 

While my love can be bought, this budget hasn’t come even close to offering the right price. 

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to buy a flat white (please don’t tell my mortgage broker).