What ARE you willing to have cut?

harrythehat · 13-11-2011 05:59PM #1

I'm getting somewhat bored of people's outrage over cuts that effect their particular position in society.

Let's start a new discussion. What WOULD you cut? Now before 100 posts go up about TD's salaries and pensions etc bear in mind that fun as it would be to make them work for minimum wage, it would have a negligible effect on our national debt.

So where would you start if it was really up to you? Education, health, social welfare, arts??

Ghandee · 13-11-2011 06:01PM

My banjo string.

I think circumcision would quite suit me. :pac:

Mike 1972 · 13-11-2011 06:05PM

harrythehat wrote: »

Now before 100 posts go up about TD's salaries and pensions etc bear in mind that fun as it would be to make them work for minimum wage, it would have a negligible effect on our national debt.

Doesnt mean we shouldnt cut their pay anyway ?

While I wouldnt expect a TD to work for minimum wage a third of what theyre currently on would still be generous.

There are a lot of positions (mostly managerial and administrative) within public bodies (particularly the health services) which could do with pay cuts (or being elliminated entirely) with negligible effect on frontline service.

policarp · 13-11-2011 06:05PM

Devalue the Euro. . .

Random · 13-11-2011 06:05PM

why not make a list of what we cant cut with a valid reason why, and trim the fat off the end of the list then?

WindSock · 13-11-2011 06:06PM

Health and education. No point in educating people who are going overseas anyway and no point in giving medical treatment to people who are going to die anyway. Then pensions, old people don't know what to do with their money and only spend it on Worthers originals and such like.
Increase social welfare, more money spent on goods and services by us lardy layabouts means more capital flowing. Or make an Irish based butterscotch sweet and ban Worthers Originals, create jobs keep money in the country etc.

Fran1985 · 13-11-2011 06:08PM

The Automatic right to a council house for unmarried mothers. And Job Seekers Allowance for anyone unemployed for more than 10 years, from 2013 (give them a chance to get some work) Also, if you're unemployed for more than 5 years (enough time to get a degree and some new work) then your dole is halved. I'm in support of a 50/75cent toll charge per junction on motorways too. Gotta make sacrifices unfortunately whether we want to or not, but some of things we hand out money for in this country is insane

13-11-2011 06:14PM

Well get rid of this sort of thing completely:
http://www.rte.ie/news/av/2011/0921/media-3059049.html
(and no I don't mean RTÉ)

Not only does it cost money but it's enabling people to get payments they may not need.

Mike 1972 · 13-11-2011 06:16PM

Thought Id stick this in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgpa7wEAz7I

Suspect it might go well with the likely overall theme of the thread.

mattjack · 13-11-2011 06:17PM

WindSock wrote: »

Health and education. No point in educating people who are going overseas anyway and no point in giving medical treatment to people who are going to die anyway. Then pensions, old people don't know what to do with their money and only spend it on Worthers originals and such like.
Increase social welfare, more money spent on goods and services by us lardy layabouts means more capital flowing. Or make an Irish based butterscotch sweet and ban Worthers Originals, create jobs keep money in the country etc.

We should not cut education.Children need to learn how to spell.Its spelt Werther's Originals by the way

pragmatic1 · 13-11-2011 06:17PM

Charge a bit more for prescriptions, every state benefit should be means tested, defense budget should be slashed, PS salaries and pensions have to be looked at again.

Mr. Presentable · 13-11-2011 06:19PM

Rent allowance

Oranage2 · 13-11-2011 06:20PM

Everything that doesnt affrect me.

Firstly

- Smokes, raise it to €100 a packet
- Put a toll bridge on every road
- Make the un-employed personal slaves to working folk
- All national tv or radio presenters wages cut

Faing · 13-11-2011 06:21PM

tighten right up on the awarding of legal aid especially in the case of people that come here from abroad and demand legal aid to fund their right to be here having contributed absolutely nothing to our economy.

bijapos · 13-11-2011 06:23PM

harrythehat wrote: »

I'm getting somewhat bored of people's outrage over cuts that effect their particular position in society.

Let's start a new discussion. What WOULD you cut? Now before 100 posts go up about TD's salaries and pensions etc bear in mind that fun as it would be to make them work for minimum wage, it would have a negligible effect on our national debt.

So where would you start if it was really up to you? Education, health, social welfare, arts??

I actually think that a TDs salary is OK, its the expenses gravy trail that does it for me, the insane mileage where its possible to rack up €40-50,000 in travel expenses, the fact that they get €140 per night for overnighting if they live more than 15km from the Dail. James Reilly lives in Rush Co Dublin and he falls into this category FFS.

All independent TD's in the Dail get a "party leaders allowance" of €41,000 per annum, I havent heard Shane Ross whinge on about this yet. Its madness, plus the fact that they get pensions when they resign/ are unelected whereas everyone else gets it in their late 60's. Its starts at home and their expenses which would never exist in the prtivate sector should be first for the chop.

df1985 · 13-11-2011 06:25PM

"Rich" taxes.

People who are sitting on massive savings earning interest-increase DIRT tax.
People receiving big inheritances and other assets. A certain amount already comes tax free so its people only receiving huge amounts that would be hit.

Means tests across the board for all social welfare. pensioners sitting on huge savings should be hit. same for rich families receiving child benefit.

eth0 · 13-11-2011 06:26PM

Oranage2 wrote: »

Everything that doesnt affrect me.

Firstly

- Smokes, raise it to €100 a packet
- Put a toll bridge on every road
- Make the un-employed personal slaves to working folk
- All national tv or radio presenters wages cut

it would be an awful waste building all those bridges on roads that don't cross any river

Mike 1972 · 13-11-2011 06:29PM

bijapos wrote: »

I actually think that a TDs salary is OK,.

Its not just the expenses its the extra allowances (and holidays)

On top of their salary they get extra allowances for actually showing up for work.

They get further allowances for sitting on commitees

They get better holidays than the gawdamn schoolteachers.

And to cap it all they get free car parking in Leinster house FOR LIFE (work out the BIK rates for city centre car parking in Dublin)

pensioners sitting on huge savings should be hit

To an extent thery already are.

Although while Id be all for means testing for sources of income I dont think creating disincentives for personal saving is a particularly good idea particularly given that it was largely a credit bubble which got us into this mess in the first place.

wonderfulname · 13-11-2011 06:31PM

Rent allowance, severely, it's artificially holding up the rental market so keeping it at it's current level actually causes more people to struggle, it makes no sense to have the same system we had at a time defined by inflated property prices.

Free fees, get rid of them, replace it with a government backed loan system, capitation is currently at two grand, who can afford two grand? Bung it all into a deferred loan and you immediately have a much more equal system with less cost to the taxpayer (in 17 years, but not thinking long term is what got us into the mess in the first place).

We need to stop being so political about our health service, who here knows the deal with loughlinstown hospital? Ever had to go to the place? It's a liability and a drain on resources, it should be shut down and services moved to vincents, same with every similar situation, this country is too sparsely populated to ensure everyone is within 20min of a hospital, it's cheaper and better to insure everyone has access to a good quality health service, abet with a bit of a drive, the politics keeping these places open is the same parish pump politics people like to give out about, just on a larger scale.

I'm sure I have more, I'll think about it for ya...

bonzodog2 · 13-11-2011 06:33PM

Ministerial pensions for those still sitting as TDs

david75 · 13-11-2011 06:35PM

Defence. It never ever gets touched.
A review if Garda bonuses and benefits would save a fortune too. The allowances they get are ludicrous.

8 million a year on TDs pensions?
They should be first to get cut.

CorkBabe33 · 13-11-2011 06:38PM

Children's allowance - I'm serious. Why on earth are people being paid for having children?? People don't get an allowance for their pets.
And as for children's allowance being paid for children not even living here - should be stopped with immediate effect.

Yakult · 13-11-2011 06:42PM

Bodily hair, grass, hedges, nails and really anything else that will vastly help our financial burden.

Mike 1972 · 13-11-2011 06:43PM

Look at why it costs so much to keep a prisoner locked up and why it is necessary to have such a high ratio of prison staff to prisoners ?

Mr. Presentable wrote: »

Rent allowance

Perhaps scrap it entirely for long term receipiants and rehouse them in NAMA owned ghost estates ?

Address two problems at once.

And why do we still house people in B&B's for crysakes ?

CorkBabe33 wrote: »

Children's allowance.

Dont scrap but:
1) Means test
2) Operate sliding scale- i.e. less money for second child than first child (unless twins etc) opposite to the way it works at present.

Free TV licences, telephone rental, fuel etc for pensioners. -Even if the decision were taken to increace their pensions by the equivalent cash amount it would still save on the cost of administation for these populist gimmicks and its about time we treated pensioners like adults and let them decide how they should spend their money.

Repeal the official languages act and end all subsidies to the Irish language industry (Fund TG4 from the licence fee)

papajimsmooth · 13-11-2011 06:44PM

50 euro of everyones dole would be a good start

mal1 · 13-11-2011 06:44PM

CorkBabe33 wrote: »

Children's allowance - I'm serious. Why on earth are people being paid for having children?? People don't get an allowance for their pets.
And as for children's allowance being paid for children not even living here - should be stopped with immediate effect.

Will your Jack Russell look after you when you get old?

ejmaztec · 13-11-2011 06:45PM

mattjack wrote: »

We should not cut education.Children need to learn how to spell.Its spelt Werther's Originals by the way

I hate sweet-nazis.:mad:

rossie1977 · 13-11-2011 06:47PM

childrens allowance, rent allowance, half the dole for anyone under 30, slash the top salaries across the board in the public bodies with particular focus on the education and health sector

Spudmonkey · 13-11-2011 06:51PM

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Doesnt mean we shouldnt cut their pay anyway ?

While I wouldnt expect a TD to work for minimum wage a third of what theyre currently on would still be generous.

There are a lot of positions (mostly managerial and administrative) within public bodies (particularly the health services) which could do with pay cuts (or being elliminated entirely) with negligible effect on frontline service.

Bringing it down to a third of the current rate would make it comparable with the average industrial wage. A better solution would be removing their ability to claim unvouched expenses and put a cap on what they can claim.

ejmaztec · 13-11-2011 06:55PM

CorkBabe33 wrote: »

Children's allowance - I'm serious. Why on earth are people being paid for having children?? People don't get an allowance for their pets.
And as for children's allowance being paid for children not even living here - should be stopped with immediate effect.

New low for AH, children=pets.

Perhaps there should an annual kid-licence.

Cill Dara Abu · 13-11-2011 06:55PM

rossie1977 wrote: »

childrens allowance, rent allowance, half the dole for anyone under 30, slash the top salaries across the board in the public bodies with particular focus on the education and health sector

Why anyone under 30?

What ARE you willing to have cut?

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