@Kevin..Heartily agree with that post….but I would seriously doubt your first point would be even looked at. Anything that dips into the politicians pockets or the cronies in the public service is doomed to fail. We are fortunate enough that a €10 cut per child in child benefit won’t hurt that much and I’m quiet happy to take that cut to help where I can but what bristles against me are the broken promises and the lies told by both government parties prior to being swept into office…so much for transparecy…

These are things they could do instead of increasing the VAT rate or reducing child benefit which would save a lot more money without affecting the vulnerable.

1. Following the 2% pension raid on private sector pensions the goverment should apply the 2% to all civil servant & politican pensions awarded in the last 5 years (rats off the ship) any lump sum payments, golden handshakes etc over 50k made during that period the amount over 50k should be retrospecively taxed @ 50%.

2. Amend Croke Park that any civil servant or politician earning over 60k, that amount is cut by 25%. Any politician or civil servant earning over 100k that amount is cut by 50% (Front line civil servants need to grow up and stop being wheeled out to be cannon fodder for the incompetent, overpaid administrative and management sections of the civil service where everyone wants the cuts to be made but they are allowed to hide behind front line staff and discredited unions)

2. Non nationals are entitled to benefits for 6 months, then they stop and either get a job or return to there country of residence. This is what you are entitled to in other EU countries i.e spain etc.. Why is irelands benefit tourism being borrowed for and repaid by taxpayers and future generations, when we have highly renumerated officials & politicians overseeing it? (maybe staff from the dept. of welfare check the passports of people, wifes, children arriving at dublin airport and leaving again after signing on as it is rampant and a sick joke)

3. No Childrens benefit for any child that is resident outside of Ireland.

4. The issuing of work visas needs to be reviewed as too many irish workers and graduates are unemployed… Please don’t hide behind, being in the EU.

5. The dept. should check in the UK & NI, how many recipients of benefits are in employment there as they can fly in, fly out or drive in, drive out out and receive dole, medical card etc and the big one people don’t count is mortage interest relief (all you need is p45 make application and once through, drive to NI or fly to UK).

5. The Goverment of this country elected on a mandate by the citizens of this country MUST act in the best interests of the citizens and not vested interests, unions, bond holders, french or german banks or EU officials who pat you on the head and tell you your a good little boy.

6. Also maybe they could enact some laws in relation to white collar crime to hold the people accoutable for the banking fiasco were numerous laws have been broken (or are they afraid of these laws being applied to there buddies?)

How could FG\Lab think they could make these promises and not have to break them? They knew full well how bad the state finances were going in to the election. They lied to everyone about protecting the most vulnerable knowing they would end up breaking those promises.

Is this government ever going to stop. Cuts to child benefit, cuts to the dole, water tax, property tax, vat increase, motor tax increase. Do they think we’re going to pull the extra money for all this out of our arse.

Have the Germans confirmed that they are going to cut the Irish child benefit yet?

Now there will be no stopping them!
Whatevers next!!!

Next is mass demonstrations.

We all knew there were problems that would require measures like this but were so sick and appalled by Cowen and co that we wanted a new shower in asap. There isn’t one radical thinker among the new coalition so there was never any reason to suspect that there would be a viable alternative to straight forward cuts. It’s a shame this country has been reduced to this but in reality we knew it was coming.

Tax it! All those earning 1 1/2 times avg. industrial salary at 20-40%. That’s fair, equitable and protects the most vulnerable. Why they have not worked on this for the last 8 months I have no idea!
The most efficient dept is revenue, families have received maternity benefits and they would have a database already compiled to draw off. Hate to think of the negative affect on struggling families this will have.

Child Benefit has nothing to do with social welfare,I am really sick at the amount of people who really by the sounds of it have any life experience, on a personal note I don’t smoke nor drink nor go out, every cent is spent on my kids and the costs are mounting,my kids school sent a note home 2 weeks ago saying they need € 260 off me to help fund it, because the dept of education do not give the school enough funding, that’s on top of the €150 I paid first week in september the cost of stuff is increasing gas esb it’s never ending and at this stage I wish Xmas was abolished because it’s causing me nothing but grief.

I really don’t think the Govt. realises how much of a difference that €10 would make if it was taken away, especially when other benifits are being cut, taxes increased, and water charges are being introduced. The cost of living is going up and average families income is going down.

No one in receipt of welfare, married or single, with one child or twenty, should be receiving more than the average industrial wage. All welfare expenditure should hinge on this simple principle.

Why can’t they Means Test it

And now they have access to the bus lanes!!!!

Adam I’ve not yet met a child who earns more than the average wage, I’m sure there are some but most children in this state are just happy not to go hungary.
This is about children from working class backgrounds who’s parents need every cent to keep clothes on their backs amd their family fed. Those who don’t need this allowance can have it taken away by other means.

Jan O’sullivan says they have to take the easy option of taking from the poorest as they have no radical ideas just the same lame ideas as the last government.Its another sure thing they know they wont be in power next time around.That is if us mortals dont take to the streets en-mass at the next leak of austerity cuts.Does leaking this info now hope to take the sting out of it when its actually confirmed in the budget and I await eagerly for the next’leak’ ! Tax on all fuels, higher car tax, higher medicine charges,just in case those that are ill havnt paid attention.I wonder how the politicions pensions are doing.

If everyone sent an email to your local government TD ( most of us have about 3 of them ) and tell them under no circumstances will you vote for them in the next election if child benefit is cut. Let them know that they have to put pressure on Joan Bruton and Enda kenny.

What about the people fraudulently claiming carers allowance. I know one person who is claiming for a teenage son who allegedly has attention deficit and has now engineered extra for a daughter allegedly with a different condition. It seems odd to me that a person with attention deficit can play on a game station for hours at a stretch as this one does and the parents openly brag about it.

There is wholesale fraud being carried out without any comeback whatsoever.

Easy option, take from every one it’s easier than carrying out checks.

Senator van Turnhout is spot on – there are many ways that child benefit payments could be targetted at those who really need it without the need for the introduction of an expensive means test. Tying it in to income tax would be a start, although it would probably hit PAYE earners more than the self-employed. They could also introduce self-assessment with random inspections and large fines for those found abusing the system. This “blunt instrument” shows a worrying lack of imagination in the government and a lack of awareness of the hardship being experienced by so many around the country.

I dont know how many times pre the election and since the election, i have posted this ….
There are alternatives to FG/FF/Labour …
Its SF. They have committed to leaving existing tax rates in place, and introducing a 2% increase on all income over 100k per year. SF are committed to the Euro, but have said very publicly they will not pay one cent to unsecured debt. SF have also committed to ensuring that NO-ONE, not policticians, not RTE presneters, not civil/public servants will receive one cent over 100k per year.
You can moan all you want about the failed promises of this government and th last government. but until you start showing the establishment parties that you will not take their lies anymoe, you are going to have groundhog day from here to eternity. Our current governmenbt plan tp pay 3,200, 000, 000.00 (or 3.2 billion) to unsecured bondholders in February. People wake up. The establishment parties will continue to say that SF are out of touch with reality. Yet any eminent economists are saying that SFs policy is the only way to get this country back on track.
Use your votes more wisely next time out and make sure you do not vote for an establihment party, who lie through their teeth coming up to every election. If labour really are a left-wing party, they would not even entertain cutting childrens allowance to the lowest income families in our country. Labour are as much left wing, as the Nazis were a peaceful orgainsation out to better mankind. WAKE UP.
The etablishment parties have gone after the poorest and least well off in our society, making sure they will not significantly impact the welathiest in the country. They will continue to use the last Government as an excuse, when in reality, it is Labour ministers that are championing the cuts. Why have they not supported a welath tax? Why have they not supported cutting the 500k tax-payer salaries paid to the most senior civil servants and personalities in this country? WAKE UP.

How about testing parents when they go to draw down the allowance – any who are smoking get the cut, any who aren’t get to keep the current rate. It’s a win win situation for all concerned once the long term HSE savings are factored in.

Yes it should be cut.