Budget day discussion thread. Your budget chat goes here.(Rules and links first post)

dr.bollocko

Hello folks. The day is upon us.
Please read this sitewide announcement for details on where the best place to post is. This thread is for the AH take on the situation. Might cheer some people up.
Rules: I know ye hate them but they are necessary.
1. No negative generalisation about public or private service. This is very important to note as both public and private service are regular posters on boards and we don't want any insults. Please do not post anything that might get us sued.
And that's about it other than the usual charter rules.
Issues raised so far (Please feel free to add to / debate these as all is speculation until the announcements are made):

Watch live:
http://www.boards.ie/budgetlive/

News feeds:
Rte Live text feed here. and twitter feed here.
Irish times budget home page here
Thejournal.ie news feed
Breakingnews.ie / irish examiner analysis.

2pm update:

Cigarettes and alcohol are set to escape budget rises.
A 5% cut to all welfare payments, bar pensioners and the most vulnerable.
Child benefit being slashed by €10 a month per child, and double that for the third child.
The controversial €10 air travel tax will not be scrapped, but it will be cut to just €2.
Public sector pensioners will face a 4% cut in their pensions, one of the two Government jets will be sold.
Many of the ministerial cars will also be sold off and replaced with a car pooling system, while TD and ministerial pay and pensions will also be cut.

3pm update:

third-level registration fees will be increased to €2,000 annually. Families with more than one child in college will pay a reduced fee of €1500 for the second and subsequent children.
There could be a 4c increase in petrol.

Budget results:

No reduction in state pension
Taoiseach's pay will be reduced by over €14,000, with a €10,000 reduction for Ministers. Presidential salary limited to €250,000
10% reduction in pay for new entrants into the public sector will apply to judges.
There will be a €10 reduction in child benefit.

Published budget here
Aftermath:

Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan and Fine Gael's Michael Noonan will be live in studio on tonight's Prime Time at 2140.

dr.bollocko

http://budget.breakingnews.ie/news/security-increases-around-dail-ahead-of-planned-protests-484671.html
Security has been increased around Government Buildings today, with a number of Budget protests getting underway outside.

At the moment, a cherry-picker machine that has been parked outside the gates of Leinster House has been disabled.

The vehicle is displaying a number of signs and placards attacking politicians and the banking sector.

The control panel is sealed off, preventing gardaí from bringing the protester back to ground.

Authorities are preparing for a day of demonstrations, with left- wing groups, students and community organisations all planning to picket the area.

Security is tight, with crash barriers and crowd control plans in place at Leinster House and also Government Buildings.

A spokesman for the Oireachtas said that there is no problem accessing the complex, and it is business as usual for now.

msg11

Are they doing anything with the welfare and the waster that are on it years? If they cut them down to 40€ a week then will pay attention too farce that is all them in the dail.

Also according to RTÉ; Smokes, Drink and Petrol to be hit. Also word has it, they are going to actully rocket up.

Duggy747

At 4pm I'll be prepared to lose it, revert back to a feral animal, crack open a skull and feast on the precious goo inside.

Something needs to be done about those scrounging off the dole for years (The ones with no intentions of working)

Selfish Note: Please............be gentle with my booze.......it's all I have left

Ghandee

Its not all bad lads!

Dominoes aste doing this for the budget,

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056111463

Nom nom nom nom:pac::pac:

Can the first post be edited with a synopsis of what is going on in the budget? There will be people who are working/in college and this thread is likely going to be dozens and dozens of pages long.

ibarelycare

For me, having to pay more taxes isn't quite as bad as having to listen to people moaning about this budget for the next aaaaages.

dr.bollocko

Recession jukebox till they confirm the worst.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkhX5W7JoWI

dr.bollocko

Deleted User wrote: »

Can the first post be edited with a synopsis of what is going on in the budget? There will be people who are working/in college and this thread is likely going to be dozens and dozens of pages long.

That's what we'll try to do. Keep any links and feeds and updates to the first post for people where possible.

High energy

msg11 wrote: »

Also according to RTÉ; Smokes, Drink and Petrol to be hit. Also word has it, they are going to actully rocket up.

The lads selling cigs on the black market are licking their lips at this prospect.

dr.bollocko

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqHkuHy39eA

We're on the BBC site and all.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11931163
Oooh. It makes me feel terrible important.

kfallon

**** the BBC, it's none of their business, let them keep their noses out

dr.bollocko

kfallon wrote: »

**** the BBC, it's none of their business, let them keep their noses out

If somebody so much as farts at a copper near leinster hours today they'll be making international headlines.

Found this old one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_iQZiVD_zA

This recession music is cheering me right up.

thebigbiffo

bah - i've too much money anyway. might as well give some to those hard up senior bondholders - poor mites.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt7pjz3Vr_4

Setun

Here we go folks. Hard hats and high-vis jackets on. Safety first, and let's hope the roof doesn't cave in.

Blazer

Daddio wrote: »

Here we go folks. Hard hats and high-vis jackets on. Safety first, and let's hope the roof doesn't cave in.

too late...we're like the Chilean miners in that it's already collapsed around us...
Only problem is the rescuers have more interest in saving themselves and to hell with us.

Setun

Sc@recrow wrote: »

too late...we're like the Chilean miners in that it's already collapsed around us...
Only problem is the rescuers have more interest in saving themselves and to hell with us.

/sigh

I laughed when I saw Cowen is rumoured to be dropping €14,000 off his salary. It won't be his salary for much longer - he's basically telling Eamon/Enda to take 14k off their salary! He's a cheeky man, our Brian.

orourkeda

Cant wait to have my dole cut. It's going to be deadly. We're going to be buttraped pretty hard.

GrahamThomas

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Recession jukebox till they confirm the worst.

Surprised this song hasn't be mentioned yet :pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqbrNwF8LJg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBw_wSoVQrY

Mark200

Daddio wrote: »

/sigh

I laughed when I saw Cowen is rumoured to be dropping €14,000 off his salary. It won't be his salary for much longer - he's basically telling Eamon/Enda to take 14k off their salary! He's a cheeky man, our Brian.

Right... so before he was cheeky for not reducing the wages of the Taoiseach, and now he's cheeky when he does reduce the wages.

Setun

Mark200 wrote: »

Right... so before he was cheeky for not reducing the wages of the Taoiseach, and now he's cheeky when he does reduce the wages.

Cheeky to do it now as he's walking out the door. :pac:

On a serious note though - 14k isn't that much of a reduction considering it must still leave the Taoiseach as one of the highest paid politicians in the world. I'll hold my counsel until the almighty arsekicking is unveiled.

up for anything

Gucky wrote: »

Its not all bad lads!

Dominoes aste doing this for the budget,

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056111463

Nom nom nom nom:pac::pac:

This deal was €9.99 a couple of weeks ago. They were employing lads holding advertising boards to stand on all the roundabouts on the ring road in Kilkenny. Why has it taken a jump in price in a few short weeks!! A sign of things to come.

DrumSteve

Sc@recrow wrote: »

too late...we're like the Chilean miners in that it's already collapsed around us...
Only problem is the rescuers have more interest in saving themselves and to hell with us.

So we're ,more like those new zealand miners so.

If this doesn't brighten up people's day, then you're all weird.

NSFW, sorta.

Will's Mum from Inbetweeners strips to her underwear for a photoshoot here

Hande hoche!

Deleted User wrote: »

If this doesn't brighten up people's day, then you're all weird.

NSFW, sorta.

Will's Mum from Inbetweeners strips to her underwear for a photoshoot here

Very nice.

Turtyturd

'10:10: 'Very few budget-related updates to bring you at the moment. None, in fact. In the mean time watch a budget report from 9 news on RTE.'


Nice one rte, just cancel the live feed and we will all catch a summary of it on the news tonight.

Mr Benevolent

Deleted User wrote: »

If this doesn't brighten up people's day, then you're all weird.

NSFW, sorta.

Will's Mum from Inbetweeners strips to her underwear for a photoshoot here

That's not sexy enough for budget day. We need moar Mary Harney.

Fighting Irish

Daddio wrote: »

Cheeky to do it now as he's walking out the door. :pac:

On a serious note though - 14k isn't that much of a reduction considering it must still leave the Taoiseach as one of the highest paid politicians in the world. I'll hold my counsel until the almighty arsekicking is unveiled.

Our minimum wage is one of the highest in the world as well right?

thebigbiffo

Confab wrote: »

That's not sexy enough for budget day. We need moar Mary Harney.

personally, i think there's plenty of her already thanks very much.

Sanjuro

I really only have one thing to say about the upcoming budget-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbP2zIa9HIM

Mena

Anyone know where to get cheap lube online? I am pretty sure a lot of us, working or not, are going to need a steady supply throughout the day.

ibarelycare

Mena wrote: »

Anyone know where to get cheap lube online? I am pretty sure a lot of us, working or not, are going to need a steady supply throughout the day.

Just use your tears.

kippy

Its way too late to give a ****e about any of this. The damage has been done.

If the government had any balls this kinda thing should have been done 2-3 years ago.

The very fact that the CPA is still in place is also a disgrace if you ask me.
Public servants should take another 10% cut and public service pensioners SHOULD have their pensions linked to this - this is only fair.
TD's should be slashed from the 160 odd right down to no more than 80.
The senate should be cut in half, if not cut altogether.
Taxation bands need to be drasticilly reviewed and reworked (upwards).
VAT should be coming DOWN.
Excise (particularly on fuel and oil based products) should be coming DOWN.

Ah **** it, either way, I dont care too much about it. I still got me health.

Atilathehun

Lenny to reduce Taoiseach's salary to the new minimum wage:cool:
Welcome to government Mr Kenny or Mr Gilmore :D:D

Big Nasty

Can we talk about the budget results here as they are announced?

I know economics or finance or politics will have their own thread but for the ordinary people of AH can it be disussed here?

Sharp work Master! I did a search and couldn't find this thread.

Super-Rush

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKw5mBh4rYs

The Master

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Sharp work Bollocko! I did a search and couldn't find this thread.

Ahem...

Aldebaran

Let the bears pay the bear tax, I pay the Homer tax!

Big Nasty

The Master wrote: »

Ahem...

Say Wha? :D:D

dr.bollocko

Cigarettes and alcohol are set to escape in the most austere Budget in Ireland's history today.

Brian Lenihan will announce this afternoon hikes of 4c on a litre of petrol and 2c on diesel, as well as cuts to dole and child benefit payments.

However, the 'old reliables', cigarettes and alcohol, will be left as they are in a bid to prevent further black-market trade.
A 5% cut to all welfare payments, bar pensioners and the most vulnerable, will see the dole and other payments cut by around €8 or €9 a week, with child benefit being slashed by €10 a month per child, and double that for the third child.

Reform of taxes will take place, with reliefs and avoidance schemes to be closed.

Many of the lower paid, who have not had to pay tax previously, will be brought into the net gradually.

The controversial €10 air travel tax will not be scrapped, but it will be cut to just €2.

Public sector pensioners will face a 4% cut in their pensions, one of the two Government jets will be sold.

Many of the ministerial cars will also be sold off and replaced with a car pooling system, while TD and ministerial pay and pensions will also be cut.

http://budget.breakingnews.ie/news/old-reliables-set-to-avoid-budget-rises-484707.html

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbVHbEGerRA

PeterIanStaker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYMD3ZPM-1c

Sure Mr Lenihan. You're a f8cking hero. Everyone loves you.

candy-gal1

What time is it starting does anyone know?

PeterIanStaker

candy-gal1 wrote: »

What time is it starting does anyone know?

The raeping session will commence at about 3.30 pm. Time for everyone (bar the rich) to drop trou and take it:mad::mad:

Sonnenblumen

Afterall the scaremongering, if the early leaks are true, in the circumstances, it doesn't seem too bad.

pikachucheeks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX_qAtwMDFk

:pac:

MistyCheese

Daddio wrote: »

I laughed when I saw Cowen is rumoured to be dropping €14,000 off his salary.

I find it interesting that a €14k salary cut won't change his position as fourth highest paid world "leader". The Taoiseach will still be between

3. Barack Obama, President, United States
Annual salary: €298,790

and

5. Nicolas Sarkozy, President, France
Annual salary: €238,885

Biggins

These "leaks" that are appearing, are just a known tactic that has been used for a number of years now by FF.
There has been supposed leaks for weeks now - but in fact all they are meant to do is soften the blow and/or have the damaging cuts disseminated into the public domain bit by bit in better palatable sections - rather than be taken as a whole where the public might actually see the full picture and assess just how much they are really getting walloped in one go, in one day!

candy-gal1

Going by the budget news last night the dole will have a 10e cut. Seriously?! thats incredibly good tbh since anyone whos on the dole (including myself) is lucky to be getting it.
they are really making it a waste of time to work even more so with the upping of tax by 25 euro or so. I mean I want to work because I like the independence but for most people theyre just going to say whats the point and i wouldnt blame them tbh.