The Savagery of the Fine Gael/Labour Government
Budget December 2012
The carer’s annual respite care grant – paid to about 70,000 families each year – is being cut by €325 to €1,375. The grant allows carers to buy additional supports as part of a package of care and support for all family members. By their work, love and attention carers save the country €4 billion.
Further cuts to child benefit of €10 per child for the first and second children, of €18 for the third and €20 for fourth and subsequent children.
The end of the €300 cost of education allowance which will impact on the unemployed and the poorest lone parents
About 20,000 pensioners are to lose their full medical card and have it replaced with a GP-only card, it has emerged.
The trebling of the prescription charge to €1.50 for medical card holders.
The increase of the drug payment scheme threshold from €132 to €144.
The abolition of the weekly PRSI threshold for all workers earning more than €352 per week or €18,304 per annum.
On Saturday 8th December members of Laois Sinn Féin and the United Left Alliance joined forces to demonstrate in Portlaoise against the bitter cuts unveiled by the Fine Gael/Labour government.
The demonstrators outside of the AIB & Bank of Ireland
Sinn Féin's Brian Stanley T.D. & demonstrators outside Labour Senator John Whelan's constituency office.
A new report from the Economic and Social Research Institute of December 2012 has found that 22% of the Irish population is living in jobless households, which is double the average across Europe.
This figure stood at 8% in 2010, similar to the European Union average.
The study says household joblessness should be recognised as a risk factor for poverty, and found that welfare payments were the most effective way of reducing poverty.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Associate Research Professor with the ESRI, Dorothy Watson said:
"We're not just talking about unemployment when we're talking about joblessness in households because there are other statuses...apart from unemployment that people who are not currently in employment might have.
For instance they may be caring, they may be looking after young children, they may consider themselves unable to work because of disability
This figure stood at 8% in 2010, similar to the European Union average.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Associate Research Professor with the ESRI, Dorothy Watson said:
For instance they may be caring, they may be looking after young children, they may consider themselves unable to work because of disability
Jack Tisdell said:
ReplyDeleteWell done Sinn Féin.
I have studied your alternative 2013 Budget Proposal's and I find myself in agreement with them.They are costed and offer an alternative to the policies of austerity, and failure of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael/Labour Governments. Sinn Féin represent the great majority of Irish Citizens who have been sold a pup of broken election promises and bad governance by the current and previous administrations.