We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
DUBLIN CITY COUNCILLORS have voted to back recommendations from officials and keep the toll in place at the East Link Bridge.
Built in 1984 under a deal between Dublin Corporation, Dublin Port and private company National Toll Roads — the bridge reverts back to the city on 31 December 2015.
The tolls charged at the bridge generated €4.2 million in profit last year, but under the terms of the 30-year-old agreement the council received just a fraction of that amount.
Councillors decided in a vote last night to keep the tolling operation in place when the arrangement comes to an end.
Several members spoke against the move, but other councillors raised concerns that lifting the toll could lead to a huge influx in traffic in the Ringsend area.
“My feeling was we shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” Transport Committee member Paddy McCartan told TheJournal.ie.
“We need this funding, we need any funding we can get. It could be used for transport in other areas or it could be used for other projects.”
McCartan said no decision had been made as yet on whether to keep the current pricing structure in place and that a vote on that issue would be held at a later date.
In a report sent to councillors ahead of last night’s meeting, City Engineer Michael Philips had recommended keeping the toll in place.
It’s expected Dublin City Council will seek a contractor to operate the toll and provide the tolling facilities from 1 January 2015, and that the existing staff there will have transfer of employment rights.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
When can I stop paying 5% on my insurance to cover Sean Quinns gambling debt?
Around about the same time as you stop paying the levy that was put on premiums for PMPA (that company collapsed in the 80′s )Insurance.
I’m rich, rich I tells ya. Oh, no, wait, I’m not. I’m less marginally less poor.
Lol. Paid myself a salary today. So much better off! NOT. I am a communee. A victim of fitting into a certain bracket. When you can’t even take home half your salary, you really need to think about getting out.
An extra €3.35 a week. Nearly the price of a pint in my town. Heartbreaking!!!
So that’s a fiver a week back… Can I have the other €100 taken on me through wage cuts, taxes and levies… Seeing as “the recovery” is going so well.
I can nearly stop checking down the back of the couch now.
Lower income taxes, lower USC, lower property tax for many, cheaper petrol at the pumps. Even when you consider the water charges, the vast majority of people will be better off this year compared to last.
Are you on drugs!!!!
Its going to great, the whole country will be splashing out with there newly recovered wealth. The boom time is back!
An extra €5 in children’s allowance Ian!
MGL@…the guy you are addressing is not on drugs. You can only be slightly better off proportional to what you contribute in the first place. You cannot get blood from a stone. At the same time, blood does not return to a stone to produce Ruby…
On an individual level that 5e won’t make much difference so it would have been better off just saving it and diverting it elsewhere.
Sure who can afford drugs?
I don’t think families would be financial better off.The higher rate decreased by 1% and USC decreased by 0.5% across 3 bands of taxation (as far as I know).The water charges will ensure that families don’t feel the reduction of tax.Furthermore,2019 will bring normal back the normal rates of the water charge.This,in turn,makes me believe that the budget did no justice for the working class people.
Thanks for the fiver. You certainly won’t be getting it back for the water!
Free GP care for under 6′s, as per Budget 2014, seems to have been forgotten
Changes to tax rates? Only tax bands, or so I thought?
Income tax band increased by €1000 and the top rate dropped to 40%.
You on overtime today Reg?
Feck all on the telly Norman.
Thought so Reg,nice to see you’re talking up the budget on behalf of the government again,they really fecked up with the water charges though buried all the budget good news.Don’t forget to mention how better off you are with the changes,that might swing a few votes for FG.
Just answered Jason’s question with a couple of facts. Didn’t comment on the pros and cons of the budget.
But since you asked my household will be over €1000 better off than last year with the tax changes and children’s allowance increase excluding water charges. I’ll take that!
Reg gets some amount of stick from shinnerbots these days. Reg is like me, looking out for the realistic, hard working, self employed mofos…keep up the good work Reg.
Thanks for the support Gavin!
Gavin really anyone that doesn’t cheer lead for the government is a Shinner? Grow up.
I didn’t ask Reg I just reminded you to mention it.On one post you claimed €800 but then you upped it to a €1000.
I explained this to you previously Norman but you continue to repeat to try and discredit me. I said that the net effect of the tax changes it will be €800 (both of us on average enough salaries) but when you add children’s allowance it will be over €1000. Surely that’s not too difficult for you to understand?
Reg not trying to discredit you,just seems I have a better memory than you.
Reg, Norman is one of the people who are afraid things will get better & he’ll have nothing to moan & cry about!
Protect I don’t cry,moan very subjective really.Its only a moan because you disagree with the comment.
Thanks reg!
Nothing on the telly,boi ?!?!?! Top of the Pops : 1980 – Big Hits on BBC 4 ,boi !! Mirror in the Bathroom,like!
I’m all 80s out CorkBoi…..got a best of 80s CD for Christmas!!
Under this government budget & water plan, our household (average household income) is €220 per year better off.
Under the Shinner budget/water plan we would have been worse off by around €160.
Not keen on electioneering giveaways.
But I’m even less keen on unnecessary tax rises.
Let’s forget Shinners for a second and focus on those who cannot add. I have been asking this for months now. Can anyone, for the love of God, please explain their “Robin Hood” wet dreams/ “passed down cliches” as to how we don’t have an extremely progressive tax society. I will even give you a head start and say “start with the VAT” as that is the only theory that is not totally berserk. Real numbers (I will let you round them to real numbers) will suffice for this little experiment! Ps. If you don’t come out with real figures, you lose the argument and my search will go on…
VAT is high in Ireland. And often bizarre – for instance, while books are zero-rated, ebooks, which are more and more common as the way we read books, are rated at 23%. Insane.
A LACK OF EMPATHY just proves one thing, this government could do anything and the majority here just say what can we do, do they not realise that we the voters are the governments employers, that the government works for us and not their cronies or party donators or even the plutocrates in Frankfurt, Brussels or Berlin?
One foot forward 5 steps back – getting dizzy with the Government shuffle or we should we just do “the hussel” :-((
So what.
have your say