A cartoonist's interpretation of the papers presented at the policy conference 'Basic Income - Radical Utopia or practical Solution?' is available to download below.
Some tax proposals currently being considered by Government should be rejected because they would give far greater benefit to people earning higher incomes than to lower income employees. While there should be no net reduction in tax in Budget 2017, a study conducted by Social Justice Ireland, published today, shows that the impact of some proposals currently being considered would be profoundly unfair because they would favour only those with higher incomes.
Without the social welfare system almost 50 per cent of the Irish population would have been living in poverty in 2014. Adequate social welfare payments are required to prevent an increase in poverty. Between 2010 and early 2016 inflation was 3.44 per cent - implying that a buying power of €188 in 2010 was equivalent to €194.50 by February 2016.
Government should spend €1bn fiscal space on infrastructure to improve productivity and competitiveness in Budget 2017. This would be a far better use of resources than giving tax cuts as incentives to attract ‘Brexit refugees’ from the City of London to Dublin. Investment is crucial to addressing Ireland’s infrastructure deficits and to delivering a vibrant, productive, competitive and sustainable economy and a just society. Investment is the cornerstone of our policy briefing Budget Choices 2017.
Budget Choices 2017 outlines Social Justice Ireland's comprehensive proposals and policies and policies that can deliver a vibrant economy, a just society and a sustainable future.
An adequate investment programme focused on social housing and broadband delivery must be one of the key initiatives in Budget 2017. Budget 2017 should introduce substantially increased investment to begin delivering sufficient social housing units to eliminate the waiting list and to frontload the rollout of the fibre infrastructure for broadband to every household and business in the State.
Each year, on the day after the annual Budget is announced, Social Justice Ireland produces an analysis and critique of that Budget.
Budget 2016 was the fifth regressive Budget in a row. While it was not as regressive as in previous years and contained some gain for everyone, there was much more for the better off and far less for poor and vulnerable people. While single unemployed people will gain €95 a year, single people earning €75,000 will gain almost ten times as much i.e. €902. In the case of couples, the unemployed will gain €157 a year while a couple with two earners on €125,000 a year will gain nine times as much i.e. an extra €1,408 a year.
Social Justice Ireland's policy briefing Budget 2016 Analysis and Critique is available below.
The expenditure and taxation changes in successive budgets have had a significant impact on households in Ireland, particularly those with children and on low incomes. In advance of Budget 20
