This afternoon.
Outside Leinster House.
People Before Profit TDs Richard Boyd Barrett, Bríd Smith, Gino Kenny and PBP member and economist Brian O’Boyle launch their pre-Budget submission ‘Recovery For All’.
Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe will deliver Budget 2019 tomorrow in the Dáil at 1pm.
Mícheál Lehane, of RTÉ, reports:
People Before Profit has proposed spending an additional €2.9 billion to build social and affordable homes next year as part of its pre-Budget submission.
The party also wants to make all public transport free, which it says would cost €580 million annually and help reduce both CO2 emissions and traffic congestion.
Under its plan the party says that €3bn could be allocated to develop a National Health Care System that would include free GP care.
The party believes the Universal Social Charge and the Local Property Tax should be scrapped.
PBP want €2.9bn for affordable housing in Budget (RTE)
Get rid of taxes, increase spending, make everything free.
No mention of money tree?
No money tree.
They are going to renege on our national debt. Well, half of it.
They are introducing a millionaire’s annual tax of 2% of worth; and a 65% tax rate for those earning over €250K.
And a landlord tax (they don’t mention how this will most likely be added to the tenant’s rent – but there you go)
PBP promising policies that haven’t been thought through?
– I don’t believe you
and as well as doubling the corporate tax, there is an extra special 4% bonus tax for pharmaceutical companies??
I don’t mind paying for public transport – it’s subsidized by my taxes and I pay if I need to use it.
What I would prefer to FREE transport, is a fit for purpose one, with frequent service and a regular night service. I’d like better security on the trains and a more comprehensive bus and rail service. If it’s going to cost me close to a tenner a day to get in and out of town every day, then I would like to see a public transportation system that reflects the high prices. What we have now does not. What we have now is a rip off.
And an UNDERGROUND/METRO, ffs. One that services Dublin airport. This is what people and what they’ve been crying out for for years.
Fewer cars and more buses, trams, trains & bikes.
How about €10 per day congestion charge to drive a private car in between the canals in Dublin?
I agree with the both of you.
Won’t work.
Too many people with cars living between the canals.
Too many people have to drive because the public transport from the places they live aren’t good enough.
Too many people with children who have to go to school/creche and public transport won’t cut it. At all.
For many people car is the only way to manage the commute. Myself included.
“Too many people have to drive because the public transport from the places they live aren’t good enough.”
I am sure that is true for many people, but people who live in the centre are surely amongst the best-served by public transport. And I imagine that if people are paying a premium to live near the centre, their jobs are probably somewhere in the centre within easy cycling distance, rather than in a business park in west Dublin.
“Too many people with children who have to go to school/creche and public transport won’t cut it. At all.”
Where is there in the centre of Dublin that is far enough from any schools/creches that parents are obliged to drive their kids there, instead of walking?
I would be interested in seeing studies on the origins of traffic coming into the city centre, but I imagine that most of it is people from the suburbs driving into town, rather than originating in the centre itself.
TheOtherGuy,
“Too many people have to drive because the public transport from the places they live aren’t good enough…For many people car is the only way to manage the commute”
I agree, that’s why I would like to see more and better public transport, but I think this would only work by reducing the number of cars on the roads.
Pound shop Corbyns.
Richard Boyd Barrett has been doing this uncosted fantasy economics schtick for years and people still take absolutely no notice of him.
In fairness to him, even he doesn’t seem convinced by the twaddle he spouts.
Build affordable housing for those willing to work and contribute to Society. While you and I were facing constant increasing taxes over the last 10 years some hiomeless people were busy having 7 kids.
If you don’t have a job the State wil give you one that enables you to contribute to society. If you don’t contribute you get nothing.. no free gaff, no half an acre for your horses, nothing.
Make public transport free between 6-8 am and 5-7pm.
Mandatory addiction treatment for all junkies, if they relapse twice give them free heroin.
Free education for all unemployed travellers, 9-5, Monday to Friday. Give them a laptop and free broadband and skype classroom if they have kids to mind.
And a free slice of Christmas cake for everybody in the audience.
Jaysus don’t tempt me.
Back of a cigarette box economics
I’d like a yacht.
Eugh.
Enough. Enough of this ridiculousness. Free public transport…with a fleet that is barely managing current demand and if you want to roll that out beyond Dublin you’d have to invest multiples of what they’re saying they’ll spend on health.
Free GP care delivered by whom exactly. Perhaps if they’d looked about the place they’d have noticed that we have a massive shortage of GPs and a great many of the ones that are there aren’t part of the free child healthcare programme.
65% tax band…that works out at 87,500 net before you lump on USC etc. Yeah, brilliant idea that.
There’s more sensible budget proposals to be found in a bag of rusty spanners at the bottom of the canal.
It is very easy to dismiss their suggestions without giving them any consideration BUT
CO2 emissions need to be reduced immediately, public transport needs to pay a massive part in that. Free public transport works really well in other countries. I would favour a nominal charge but we have to get people out of their cars. Should be part of a major investment in green transport infrastructure.
Also corporate tax does need to be overhauled. We can’t even recover anywhere near the low rates we have. Loopholes mean many companies pay buttons in tax. It’s the poor subsidising the rich.