The official AH budget discussion thread (Rules/useful links in first post)

Biggins

Talk about shoving it down our throats right away!

The Coalition is planning to rush through the cuts to social welfare payments to prevent Fianna Fail backbenchers from being forced into a climbdown.

The Government is going to rush the passing of cuts in social welfare through a Dail vote tomorrow to prevent any Fianna Fail backbenchers being lobbied to vote against the cuts when they go home to their constituencies this weekend.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen yesterday said the legislation... would be put in place tonight or early tomorrow to allow it to be debated the day after the Budget.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/budget/news/budget-sweeteners-1968093.html

These fcukers never moved this fast before when it suited them.
Ther are doing this to stifle the public right to protest.
I find such measures just to ram-raid alone all the budget measures on the people absolutely disgusting.

Yet again if this country lets them away with their dictatorship actions - they partly deserve what they get!

I look forwards to the coup - see you on the front-line.

Sea Sharp

I'm looking forward to this. Hopefully they won't screw the smokers as per usual.

dr.bollocko

GaNjaHaN wrote: »

I'm looking forward to this. Hopefully they won't screw the smokers as per usual.

I wonder has there been a drop in revenue from smoking as a result of the high numbers of smokers attaining cigarettes through other means.

Evil_Clown

dr.bollocko wrote: »

I wonder has there been a drop in revenue from smoking as a result of the high numbers of smokers attaining cigarettes through other means.

+1 on this, I know more people than ever smokin foreign cigs, If they put the price up any more it will deffo be cheaper to fly ryanair to another city just to buy cigs.

hooradiation

Biggins wrote: »

I look forwards to the coup - see you on the front-line.

Every time I see words to this effect my eyes roll back in my head. I get the feeling I may be uncomfortably aware of what my eye sockets actually look like by the end of today.

Biggins

hooradiation wrote: »

Every time I see words to this effect my eyes roll back in my head. I get the feeling I may be uncomfortably aware of what my eye sockets actually look like by the end of today.

I know what you mean - keep hoping myself - I have no illusions.
The too complacent sheep of this country will be bought off by small tokens and empty words.

For the record, I don't drink or smoke, so it will make fcuk all differance what he does to the price of drink or cigs.
So that token he's supposed to be offering - just don't wash!

Sorry Cowen and co - this gobschite don't fall for it.

dr.bollocko

Biggins wrote: »

I know what you mean - keep hoping myself - I have no illusions.
The too complacent sheep of this country will be bought off by small tokens and empty words.

And cheaper booze.
Don't forget cheaper booze.

orourkeda

Probably a case of stating the obvious but the two main groups being asked to carry the can are people on social welfare and civil servants.

Should be interesting to find out the extent to which this will be the case.

hooradiation

Biggins wrote: »

I know what you mean - keep hoping myself - I have no illusions.
The too complacent sheep of this country will be bought off by small tokens and empty words.

For the record, I don't drink or smoke, so it will make fcuk all differance what he does to the price of drink or cigs.
So that token he's supposed to be offering - just don't wash!

Sorry Cowen and co - this gobschite don't fall for it.

No, i don't think you get me.

Everyone is complaining, some more vocal than others.
However I see no alternatives being put forward, by anyone.

So until someone can at least follow up "this is bad plan" with their own plan then they can continue bleating all they like, i don't really value their opinion.

Coup indeed. I think the only people who'd be worse than the incumbents would be the people calling for this 'coup'.

Biggins

hooradiation wrote: »

No, i don't think you get me.

Everyone is complaining, some more vocal than others.
However I see no alternatives being put forward, by anyone.

So until someone can at least follow up "this is bad plan" with their own plan then they can continue bleating all they like, i don't really value their opinion.

Coup indeed. I think the only people who'd be worse than the incumbents would be the people calling for this 'coup'.

I suspect that some are not saying what other plans they have - for fear of FF stealing them and just use them to remain longer in power.
I know alternatives have been put forward by some of the opposition - details I don't have to hand but have been reported a number of times in the Irish media.

For those that having problems getting live feed from RTE news site now/later, go to:
http://www.oireachtas.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/livewebcast/Web-Live.htm&CatID=83&m=o

for an alternative more direct source of live feed.

--Kaiser--

hooradiation wrote: »

No, i don't think you get me.

Everyone is complaining, some more vocal than others.
However I see no alternatives being put forward, by anyone.

So until someone can at least follow up "this is bad plan" with their own plan then they can continue bleating all they like, i don't really value their opinion.

Coup indeed. I think the only people who'd be worse than the incumbents would be the people calling for this 'coup'.

There was a good article in The Sunday Times with an alternative budget plan which looked quite sensible and claimed to save 6 billion, might try and dig it out later

Beasty

UK VAT rate just confirmed to be going back to 17.5% from 1 January, thereby marginally reducing the differential with Ireland - I don't anticipate any change in the Irish rate this afternoon

Biggins

RTE Schedule:

# 1520-1800: Budget Special
# 1800-1930: Six One News
# 1930-2100: Dáil Éireann - Opposition reaction
# 2100-2140: Nine News
# 2140-2230: Prime Time Budget Special

RTE Player: http://www.rte.ie/player/#

IvySlayer

Biggins wrote: »

RTE Schedule:

# 1520-1800: Budget Special
# 1800-1930: Six One News
# 1930-2100: Dáil Éireann - Opposition reaction
# 2100-2140: Nine News
# 2140-2230: Prime Time Budget Special

RTE Player: http://www.rte.ie/player/#

1801: Government shocked as hundreds of thousands of Irish citizens march on the Daíl, refusing to allow any TD out until a General Election is called.

I can dream

Biggins

IvySlayer wrote: »

1801: Government shocked as hundreds of thousands of Irish citizens march on the Daíl, refusing to allow any TD out until a General Election is called.

I can dream

Then you wake up at 18.02 to the live news nightmare: the face of Cowen on the news staring down at you!

That_Guy

Some of the quotes from the live tracker are hilarious.

The RTÉ Newsroom is a hive of activity as journalists from all platforms prepare for the busiest day of the year.

Brian Lenihan has posed for photographs with his Budget at Government Buildings.

Once today is over, Brian Lenihan could be even less popular than a certain French footballer.

hooradiation

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

There was a good article in The Sunday Times with an alternative budget plan which looked quite sensible and claimed to save 6 billion, might try and dig it out later

That'd be awesome if you could manage it.

I'll have a hunt around online and see if it exists there.

That_Guy

Biggins wrote: »

RTE Schedule:

# 1520-1800: Budget Special
# 1800-1930: Six One News
# 1930-2100: Dáil Éireann - Opposition reaction
# 2100-2140: Nine News
# 2140-2230: Prime Time Budget Special

RTE Player: http://www.rte.ie/player/#

Then stick on a bit of Sky News for their budget.

BUDGETHON!!!!

That_Guy

electrogrimey wrote: »

It's a good tactic though, give a horrible budget, but reduce the price of alcohol, so at least the people can afford to drink away their sorrows.

How typically Irish. You'll get a serious discussion on the budget by a few people and then some scumbag will just dismantle the entire conversation by saying "Well at least the booze is cheap wha?"

Biggins

That_Guy wrote: »

How typically Irish. You'll get a serious discussion on the budget by a few people and then some scumbag will just dismantle the entire conversation by saying "Well at least the booze is cheap wha?"

As long as some get their booze and fags, thats the extent of their participation and efforts.
Its easy to see why the country is in the state its in when you get that type of mental "couldn't care less", "I'm all right jack!" attitude.

laugh

That_Guy wrote: »

some scumbag will just dismantle the entire conversation by saying "Well at least the booze is cheap wha?"

I hear he flashes people too!

Big_Mac

Anyone know what time it starts at?

Biggins

Big_Mac wrote: »

Anyone know what time it starts at?

Around 3.25 or 3.30

That_Guy

From the RTE live tracker

Sean O'Rourke has asked Sean Whelan if Brian Lenihan will provide some 'moral compensation' for the public by taxing the rich in some way. Will we ever get over what happened in Paris?

Some of these quotes are cringeworthy.

Here's hoping that the entire government deliver a good budget, then hop in their spaceship and fcuk off.

Big_Mac

RTE Twitter

Protestors have begun to gather outside Leinster House to express their opposition to measures that are expected to be introduced

RobbieTheRobber

I reckon the government was using the NAMA thing as a big lie to get 54 billion. So that on budget day today they could give everyone person in the country about €13,000 each!


54 billion divided by 4 million = thirteen thousand five hundred

You wait and see, its gonna be deadly!:cool:

SEPT 23 1989

Fingers crossed for a hand grenade of a **** up that brings down this corrupt shower of gombeen bastards once and for all

That_Guy

Big_Mac wrote: »

RTE Twitter

Protestors have begun to gather outside Leinster House to express their opposition to measures that are expected to be introduced

Wouldn't it be great if the budget was actually amazing and the only thing they could complain about is not having anything to complain about.

Blazer

RobbieTheRobber wrote: »

I reckon the government was using the NAMA thing as a big lie to get 54 billion. So that on budget day today they could give everyone person in the country about €13,000 each!


54 billion divided by 4 million = thirteen thousand five hundred

You wait and see, its gonna be deadly!:cool:

fúck no..screw the people on the dole..they shouldn't be entitled to it:p

see?? even still we won't be happy and have something to bítch about

pikachucheeks

It's quite sickening that Cowan's wage is about 230,000 euro post budget, when the rest of the country has to deal with a cut back of 4 billion euro.