Texts and emails, Wednesday 9 December 2009
Topic: Budget Special
Panelists: Joe Durkan, Economist, Mary Murphy, Sociologist, NUI Maynooth, Blair Horan, CPSU, Michael Taft, Unite, Sean Murphy, Chambers of Ireland.
What about the self employed who have been paying taxes for years but now that the work is gone social welfare will not even look at us, never mind help us! I cant even afford to feed my children at the moment. All i have is my children’s allowance. You are talking about not touching the social welfare people.. If only i had €204 a week. What is the government going to do to help me? Just let us starve? Whilst thousands of social welfare people are living comfortably compared to me! Not to mention those who are playing the system & earning at the same time!
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I’m a Garda, and after today’s budget, two things, I’ve no faith in my GRA reps and the Govt, and from tomorrow my colleagues and I will do less work, why should we continue to work hard as more is taken away from us?
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Brian Lenahan said we are on the up people are still losing their jobs my sons have no jobs from this weekend and he says things are at a standstill what country is he talking about these lads have large mortgages to pay what will he do for them will he bail them out like he did the banks the answer is no because he and his clan don’t have their money invested in their homes they have their money invested in Anglo Irish bank they look after number one.
Liz, Louth.
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Simple maths. A drop of 10% in wages is only a 3% drop in the cost of running a business. Rents and energy costs are the problem not wages
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On income relativity, Mr. Lenihan whinged earlier this year about how much he had lost- 10%, 25k. This is twice my contributory old age pension. Surely this points up the argument made from d audience.
Pat Mitchell.
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What’s the big deal with cross border shopping. Mary Harney told us to shop around and avail of the bargains that can be had and Bertie told us to box clever, so there you go.
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As a nation with a problem with drink the minister lowers the price. The vintners are running the show.
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This budget could turn a recession into a depression i would not like to be young again what hope have they.
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They haven’t closed tax loopholes for the rich who can still avoid paying their share. Fianna Fail are still looking after the rich and expecting the poor to pay the greatest share.
Tom.
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It’s annoying that bank workers on same money as public servants won’t be touched by budget today- and public servants are bailing out the banks - so unfair
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Do you have to be a Lawyer to be a minister? Are there no people with economic degrees in the government? You'd hardly expect to find a butcher running a chemist shop.
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Jeez but it was a great speech, a great budget...I'm talking about Alistair Darlings British budget.
Nick.