This afternoon.

Buswells Hotel, Dublin

From left: Councillor Cllr Brid Smith, Richard Boyd Barrett TD and Ailbhe Smyth, outlining People Before Profit’s Alternative Budget proposals (more to follow).

(Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie)

Meanwhile…

From top: Social Democrat TDs Catherine Murphy, Stephen Donnelly and Róisín Shorthall and a table from the party’s pre-Budget submission released earlier today

It’s in.

The Social Democrats’ pre-Budget submissions whatsit.

The Social Democrats propose a revenue-neutral budget that invests the full €1.5bn available into areas including job creation, housing, education, healthcare, children and communities.

Reducing Ireland’s tax base is irresponsible in a growing economy and will inevitably lead once again to instability. A wide range of economists and institutions have warned against adopting such an approach.

It is exactly what happened during the bubble, and the same political parties seem determined to do it again.

…Our budget raises c.€465m in revenue by targeting junk food, pension relief and excise, while introducing an AIB levy and a tax on bonds.

This revenue is then returned through measures including:
– Reducing USC by 0.5% for earnings up to €70k;
– Introducing a tax credit for the self-employed;
– Abolishing the domestic water charge;
– Reducing local property tax for mortgage holders (up to cap of 50% of LPT owed).

In comparison to the Government’s additional €110m announced recently for the Capital Investment Plan, we have allocated €550m for capital investment.

Our measures include:
– Full €110m for recently announced capital programme;
– €300m for housing;
– €75m for primary care centres;
– €65m for innovation centres, community centres, cultural centres and high speed broadband for all primary schools.

Pending legal and regulatory compliance, we would begin to allocate funding from NAMA for additional capital investment in housing.

We are committing €1.1bn in new current expenditure. In doing so we have focused clearly on dealing with:

Education: 3,000 additional teachers; Reinstatement of Guidance Counsellors; 10% increase in funding to higher education.

Healthcare: €40m towards the trolley crisis; 900 primary care staff; Implementation of chronic disease management programmes; New funding for mental health. Carry out a full health-need and socioeconomic analysis of each health area.

Parents and childcare: 2 weeks paternity leave; Additional 10 weeks parental leave; Funding for childcare providers to build quality [sic]; Second ECCE year; Reduction in childcare costs for all families.

Children: Free primary education; Funding to alleviate child poverty

Enterprise: Scaling up of Enterprise Ireland programmes; Rates holiday for start-ups; R&D tax credits for small firms; Changing of commercial rates regime; New Smart Cities fund.

Social Protection: Increase in One Parent Family Payment age (12) and income disregard (€130); Assistance for people living with disabilities; Funding for telephone allowance; Respite care grant; Funding for refugees and homelessness; Fuel allowance increase; Christmas bonus increase.

Communities: New funding for the arts; New supports for community centres and groups.

Read the party’s submission in full here

Previously: Looking At Each Other Without Fear Or Deference

Pic: Soc Dems