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

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.