Sensible Budget Suggestions

Ronin247

Ok its AH and I should know better,however I want to know does anyone have any positive ideas for the budget other than the usual "get rid of half the government" etc. No big debates just some positivity for a while.

One that I think could be looked at is the bonus child benefit for twins. Why give 1.5 times the childrens allowance for twins up to the age of 18.Once they are out of nappies(or 2 years old whichever is first) then normal rates apply.

"Single" mothers with a second child from "another" unknown dad.DNA test the kids,if they are full siblings no allowances till daddy is named and paying maintainance.


Frivlous lawsuits.If you lose you pay.F*ckers will chance suing for anything because its free.Costs a fortune in court cases and occasionally some prick wins a lob of money they clearly don't deserve.Burglars suing homeowners etc.

Anyone with 3 convictions of theft get no dole or family allowance because it is obvious how they are supporting the family.


Some of my ideas may be a bit daft but at least they are ideas instead of complaining that nobody else is doing something.

syngindub

walk to the curry shop

Mr. Manager

syngindub wrote: »

walk to the curry shop

I don't see how that would solve our €80 billion problem

ejmaztec

Cereal Rapist wrote: »

I don't see how that would solve our €80 billion problem

It will start runs on the banks, and pretty much everywhere else as well.

Mint Sauce

Child benefit to be means tested, there is no way someone on 200k a year should be getting the exact same as someone on under 20k a year.

bonerm

Abortions for some, one way plane tickets for others.

Son Of A Vidic

Here's a start on money saving....

Reduce politicians numbers straight away.

1 TD to be elected per County.

Cities with a population over 250,000 will have 4 TD's, one each for North, South, East and West constituencies.

Political dynasties (family based) to be banned. Election and nomination on merit only.

The above rules will also apply to Seanad Eireann members.

Ministerial cars abolished.

Political pensions reduced by 60%.

Civil Servants on 100K+ per year, will have a 40% pay cut.

Government jet to be sold immediately.

Political expenses to be independently monitored with allowances greatly reduced.

Future state capital projects to have strict financial and time controls built in.

Sauve

Here's my tuppence:

Means test the Childrens Allowance.

Charge people who have medical cards a few quid (Maybe 5-10 euro) to see their GP.

Cut out all the freebies that go with certain Government jobs. (Cars + drivers for a start). Their decent salaries should afford them the ability to buy and drive their own car like the rest of us.

Put together a body of frontline healthcare workers to sort out the massive overspending there. They know what's going on and usually have some decent ideas. The same could be said for all departments really.

Radical overhaul of taxes. Everybody should pay equal taxes, relative to their income. Higher paid jobs don't necessarily mean you work harder than somebody on minimum wage. A lot do, but not all.

Oisinjm

irish-stew wrote: »

Child benefit to be means tested, there is no way someone on 200k a year should be getting the exact same as someone on under 20k a year.

I've heard that for your third child you also get more child benefit? If this is the case, this should most definitely be changed. The third child would surely be cheaper to raise ("hand me downs", more experience etc.). If anything you should receive less benefit the more children you have.

Oranage2

Give everybody cheese!

Also we should reduce the food budget in the current Dail!

Mister men

The immediate public hanging of Brian Cowen, Brian Lenihan, Mary Harney and Bertie Ahern. Followed by the beheading of the top bankers and developers who made millions on other people's misery. We then may see the people who are going to take it right in the arse in Tuesday's and forthcoming budgets "move on" and "put their shoulder to the wheel".

syngindub

Oranage2 wrote: »

Give everybody cheese!

too right man. when are we getting our bleedin cheese !!

Mr. Manager

Oranage2 wrote: »

Give everybody cheese!

Cereal Rapist wrote: »

I don't see how that would solve our €80 billion problem

.

Oranage2

I suggest we introduce a water tax say a euro for every litre you use. BANG we use 80 billion litres of water and we're debt free baby!!!

Ronin247

Sauvignon82 wrote: »

Here's my tuppence:...............

Charge people who have medical cards a few quid (Maybe 5-10 euro) to see their GP. ...........

Seen that in US where a co-pay system of $5 per visit was introduced and the number of visits dropped by something like 30% in the first year.

Co-pay for prescriptions also(is this already enacted or on the way?)

syngindub

Oranage2 wrote: »

I suggest we introduce a water tax say a euro for every litre you use. BANG we use 80 billion litres of water and we're debt free baby!!!

just throw some snow in the kettle

sollar

Charge people who use legal aid a fee if found guilty. i.e take 10 or 20 euro of their dole for a few years.

I'd say you'd see less scum with 60 or 70 convictions at that rate.

AnneElizabeth

Get competent managers in the County Councils and competent judges (with reduced page cuts)!
My mother works in the finance dept of one CC and people constantly pretend to fall over things and get thousands in compensation. They can do it as many times as they like too. It should be legal to say in court that this person has claimed 10 times before. Also where she works money is wasted needlessly by stupid managers.
Also, all county councils should have their own solicitors and barristers on a set wage.

..there's my two cents :P

Chuchoter

No single mothers benefit for each additional child after first baby born/conceived after the budget (ie does not act retroactively). Free or very cheap birth control/abortions.

No more TG4
No more mandatory Irish
No more Official Language Act 2003

Total reform of education system at second level. Pay based on merits/extracurricular work and not on seniority. Some of the worst teachers in my school are on 70k and they only have that because they've been there for years. Make it easier to fire people. Publish league tables.

Close down schools with small numbers. Make bigger schools where we can pool resources, as opposed to loads of tiny schools with crap resources. This would also benefit minority students enormously (teen mothers, LGBT students, etc etc) as it makes support groups within schools possible as in America.

Larger role in running health service given to frontline workers.

Reform entire political system. Reduce number of TDs to 1 per small counties and 2 or 3 for larger ones. TDs no longer deal with minor local issues, no pothole/parochial politics. No more seanad.

Cut minor ITs.

Bring back in western rail corridor.

cml387

A sensible AH thread eh?

Slash number of junior ministries and minsters (Mercs for the boys).
Tax 0.5c for text messages.
Renove ability of TD's to lobby for constituents and upgrade Citizen's advice bureaux to fulfill same job fre of political interference.
Introduce charge of "financial treason" and make it retrospective.

Run_to_da_hills

medicman2009 wrote: »

Government jet to be sold immediately.

To be replaced with Ryanair travel vouchers.

bnt

Cereal Rapist wrote: »

I don't see how that would solve our €80 billion problem

Let's have a look at the actual 2010 budget, shall we? Start with the last document on this page, "2010 Estimates for Public Services and Summary Public Capital Programme (PDF)".

The budget was for €54.9 billion of current spending (money keeping the country going) plus €6.4 billion of capital expenditure (money spent on things), a total of €61.3 billion. There's a breakdown by in the table on page 12, and the main suspects are there: €14.5B on Health, €13B on "Social and Family Affairs", €8.9B on "Education and Science". Anyone who goes near those is asking for trouble: "think of the Children!"

All the details are in there - such as €324 million on salaries at the Revenue Commissioners - down from €339 million the year before. (Just How many people do they have there?) Still, that's a lot less than Garda salaries, which are just over €1 billion - and they pay another 1/3 billion in "superannuation" pensions. Prisons is another big salary bill (€274 million).

The picture is repeated all the way down: salaries dwarf all other expenses by a huge margin. I though that the talk of high public sector pay was exaggerated, but the Government's own numbers tell a scary story. Has the IMF seen these figures? Yes, they have ...

tommyhaas

Always thought students should have to pay back the cost of their education through a higher tax rate after they graduate. It could be paid back as a percentage of their income over a few years.

partyatmygaff

tommyhaas wrote: »

Always thought students should have to pay back the cost of their education through a higher tax rate after they graduate. It could be paid back as a percentage of their income over a few years.

I take it you've already graduated? Why should the students of the future (Who played no part whatsoever in this recession) be punished for what the previous generation did? Giving people an incentive to abandon education isn't the right thing to do.

Oranage2

partyatmygaff wrote: »

I take it you've already graduated? Why should the students of the future (Who played no part whatsoever in this recession) be punished for what the previous generation did? Giving people an incentive to abandon education isn't the right thing to do.

It would give students incentives to work hard in college and not use college as an option for p!ssing 4 years away

MagicMarker

Oranage2 wrote: »

It would give students incentives to work hard in college and not use college as an option for p!ssing 4 years away

You really think an 18 year old in 1st year is gonna say ''oh, I better get studying, after all I will be paying a higher tax rate in 4 years!''?

AnneElizabeth

Oranage2 wrote: »

It would give students incentives to work hard in college and not use college as an option for p!ssing 4 years away

I doubt it would. Their parents would end up paying the extra fees for them or helping at the least

Mark200

partyatmygaff wrote: »

I take it you've already graduated? Why should the students of the future (Who played no part whatsoever in this recession) be punished for what the previous generation did? Giving people an incentive to abandon education isn't the right thing to do.

I haven't graduated, and I have a brother who has yet to enter third-level education, and I completely agree with a graduate tax. It has nothing to do with punishment. An education may help the state (depending on what the education is in...) but it helps the person too. There's no reason that they should not pay back the cost of their third-level education when earning enough to do so, when it more than likely is the reason why they are earning a high wage in the first place.

tommyhaas

partyatmygaff wrote: »

I take it you've already graduated? Why should the students of the future (Who played no part whatsoever in this recession) be punished for what the previous generation did? Giving people an incentive to abandon education isn't the right thing to do.

Why should anyone who played no part whatsoever in this mess have to pay? But we do. Whats the alternative?

Its not about penalising students, its about making them pay for an education they recieved. Also, this wouldnt prevent people going to college who at the time of starting cannot afford the fees

What about people who dont go to college,people that go straight from school to work. Is it fair that their taxes contribute to educating students so that those students can then get better paying jobs when they graduate?

Yes Iv graduated already, but wouldnt have a problem with a scheme like this

partyatmygaff

Mark200 wrote: »

I haven't graduated, and I have a brother who has yet to enter third-level education, and I completely agree with a graduate tax. It has nothing to do with punishment.

But it is a deterrent.

There's no reason that they should not pay back the cost of their third-level education when earning enough to do so, when it more than likely is the reason why they are earning a high wage in the first place.

But haven't their parents been paying tax the past 17/18 years to ensure a free education for their children?

Chuchoter

I would much prefer they went after bad senior teachers on 70k or our 130k librarians than going after students.

ebbsy

syngindub wrote: »

too right man. when are we getting our bleedin cheese !!

It will come with the iodine tablets.

Son Of A Vidic

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

To be replaced with Ryanair travel vouchers.

Feck no, still way to extravagant!

Mark200

partyatmygaff wrote: »

But it is a deterrent.

I don't agree with that.

partyatmygaff wrote: »

But haven't their parents been paying tax the past 17/18 years to ensure a free education for their children?

You can't choose what your taxes go towards.

jimthemental

Burn Cowen's carcass in Shannonbridge to generate fuel and save on fossil fuel costs.

partyatmygaff

tommyhaas wrote: »

Why should anyone who played no part whatsoever in this mess have to pay? But we do. Whats the alternative?

Cuts that affect all generations or at least those culpable for the recession.

Its not about penalising students, its about making them pay for an education they received. Also, this wouldn't prevent people going to college who at the time of starting cannot afford the fees

Haven't their parents been paying tax the past 17/18 years? Surely that would have accounted for something.

What about people who dont go to college,people that go straight from school to work. Is it fair that their taxes contribute to educating students so that those students can then get better paying jobs when they graduate?

I don't see why not. Everyone is given equal opportunity to continue on to higher education. They chose not to avail of what was available to them. It's their decision and their loss.

Yes Iv graduated already, but wouldnt have a problem with a scheme like this

And would you have a problem if this tax was applied retrospectively? That's the only fair way to introduce a tax like this.

Ronin247

Jim your Mental

partyatmygaff

Mark200 wrote: »

I don't agree with that.

So paying a higher tax rate for five or so years after you graduate isn't a deterrent? You can spend four/five years in university and then five or so years taxed to oblivion or you can spend those ten or so years working at a regular tax rate. It may be poor judgement but many people will see that as a deterrent.

You can't choose what your taxes go towards.

And who said otherwise?

bonzodog2

Ex-ministers NOT to get a pension for both jobs, and NOT to get a minister pension while they are still a TD.

tommyhaas

Im not saying that nothing eles should be cut, just that I believe this should be introduced.

Yes everyone has the opportunity to go to college, but in reality many cant support themselves through college. Im not sying this is a fault of the system, just a fact of life

Yea so students parents have being paying tax for for the previous 17/18 years, the students should still have to pay for the service they're getting. My parents have being paying taxes for years,should that exempt me from car tax?

And no I would have no problem if it were introduced retrospectively. I earn a decent wage and believe it would be fair to contribute. Infact it would be easier then if I had to pay the registration fees back then that are being charged now.

What Im suggesting is for the cost to be paid back over a number of years, with a charge of 3/4k per year in college. It could be deducted from salaries at a rate of 5% or something similar

Stinicker

My suggestions:

Privatise the Health Service, yet continue Universal Health Care, the savings of delivering it by the private sector would be in the billions.

Don't lower the minimum wage, instead scrap the Work Placement programmes that are giving employers free slave workers for the same money as the dole.

Introduce a Worker Subsidy Programme where the state would pay a maximum of €100 a week subsidy to employers in genuine financial difficulty to retain their workers. It costs half the dole for every worker and yet the Worker is still in employment, working, setting an example for his kids and being able to spend more money in the economy which in the long run will see the government make back alot of its investment in wage subsidy.

Take the hatchet to the public service and set a maximum wage ceiling of €80,000 for any single employee in state employment, I don't care if they are attorney general or senior barrister etc. State employees are far too highly paid and should have massive pay cuts, their job security alone is worth half their salary and cut them to the bone while keeping the lower drones on.

Abolish all the county councils and launch 4 provincial authoritys abolishing the parochial parish pump of gombeen local council politics eg. The Healy Rae's. County Councillers are not needed and all council services to be outsourced and the current employees to transfer or lose their jobs. County Councils are mainly mismanaged and very corrupt, the disgraceful attempt they make at road works and maintenance being typical all this should be done by the private sector.

Sauve

I think the HSE are nudging towards this already, but I'd vote for cutting the LTI scheme.
There are a list of Long Term Illnesses that come under this free scheme -

• Acute Leukaemia
• Mental handicap
• Cerebral Palsy
• Mental Illness (in a person under 16)
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Diabetes Insipidus
• Muscular Dystrophies
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Parkinsonism
• Epilepsy
• Phenylketonuria
• Haemophilia
• Spina Bifida
• Hydrocephalus
• Conditions arising from the use of Thalidomide

This scheme provides free medication for people to treat any of these conditions, and is not means tested.

I think it should be scrapped altogether. With a lot of these conditions, the sufferer would be entitled to a medical card, due to being unable to work, but many of them have very little effect on a persons' ability to work, i.e. diabetes.
Also, what about all of the other long term conditions that aren't covered under this scheme? Surely the HSE is being biased towards this small group of people?

Mark200

partyatmygaff wrote: »

So paying a higher tax rate for five or so years after you graduate isn't a deterrent? You can spend four/five years in university and then five or so years taxed to oblivion or you can spend those ten or so years working at a regular tax rate. It may be poor judgement but many people will see that as a deterrent.

Well assuming that any sensible graduate tax would only come into effect when a graduate is earning a modest wage, then I think students would not see having to pay a small tax as a deterrent seeing as their degree will more than likely be the reason why they are earning the modest wage in the first place. If they are poor, or not doing very well, after graduation then they wouldn't have to pay the tax.

partyatmygaff wrote: »

And who said otherwise?

Well the whole "my taxes paid for this" argument is worn out. The fact is that you simply can not use that argument while the Government is running a deficit. If you use that argument for every service you avail of then you'll have to eventually run into something that, actually, was paid for by international loans and not your taxes.

So your taxes paid for your child's education? Fine, lets cut your healthcare. Oh, your taxes paid for that too? Fine, lets cut the funds for infrastructure. Oh, you paid for that too huh? And so on

Oranage2

We should reduce the pension to nothing and let the old people die - they contrabute nothing to the economy besides constantly moaning and being a death trap in a car

Yakult

Stop given knackers free houses and all kinds of benifits. NONE of them work or contribute to society. Yet in council estates they have really nice houses with massive gates, fountains, 10 reg cars, they eat chipper food every day and then you have your average joe next door working and struggling to put food on the table..

No wonder they arent bother doing anything, they get everything handed to them ffs.

Sauve

Oranage2 wrote: »

We should reduce the pension to nothing and let the old people die - they contrabute nothing to the economy besides constantly moaning and being a death trap in a car

So you're not planning on ever getting old, no?

tommyhaas

Stinicker wrote: »

Take the hatchet to the public service and set a maximum wage ceiling of €80,000 for any single employee in state employment, I don't care if they are attorney general or senior barrister etc. State employees are far too highly paid and should have massive pay cuts, their job security alone is worth half their salary and cut them to the bone while keeping the lower drones on.

I agree with alot of what your saying, but if wages in the public sector dont compete with those in the private sector you wont be able to attract people into the public sector. You'l end up with Lionel Hutz as Attorney General

tommyhaas

R_H_C_P wrote: »

Stop given knackers free houses and all kinds of benifits. NONE of them work or contribute to society. Yet in council estates they have really nice houses with massive gates, fountains, 10 reg cars, they eat chipper food every day and then you have your average joe next door working and struggling to put food on the table..

No wonder they arent bother doing anything, they get everything handed to them ffs.

Hey dont hate the player, hate the game

Up de Barrs

TDs and Ministers to only get pensions when they are 65 not when they're thrown out of the Dail.
Rent allowance to be seriously overhauled, it drives up rents for low income working people and acts as a disincentive for the unemployed to take up a job offer.

Yakult

tommyhaas wrote: »

Hey dont hate the player, hate the game

Agreed! I dont hate them either, if anything fair play to them for raping the system to their advantage. Just shows what a farce this country is.

Stinicker

tommyhaas wrote: »

I agree with alot of what your saying, but if wages in the public sector dont compete with those in the private sector you wont be able to attract people into the public sector. You'l end up with Lionel Hutz as Attorney General

The public sector is an attraction in itself and there should a tradeoff in wages for the job security the public sector provides over the private sector already.

The Public sector already had plenty Lionel Hutz'es working for it and to me it appeared to be a dumping ground for the underperforming and inefficent workers that simply could not hack it while working in the private sector.

I think there should be price regulation in the legal sector to increase competition and blow open what is a cozy cartel run by the worst sort of rip-off merchants going. Any sort of legal dealings with a solicitor can cost thousands and even simple things like transfer of house and land ownership can cost up to €10k by these legal thieves.