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Robin Ann Richardson, 47, is a separated mother-of-four who lives with her children in Kinvarra, Co Galway and works part-time. Before the budget, she expressed her concern about further cuts to child benefit and increased motor taxes.
My initial thoughts are that with the changes in child benefit I am immediately going to lose about €40 in child benefit per month and then when they standardise it in 2013 I am going to be down about €200 per month. So that’s a big drop.
By that time I will have one in college and with registration fees going up there’s going to be another expense. Then there are other things like the household charge and VAT is going up which is obviously going to affect me in terms of almost everyday spend.
The carbon taxes will affect me also and I have a 13-year-old car so my motor tax is probably going to go up. As it’s an old car and I already pay €700 in car tax, I think it’s going to go up to over a thousand a year and it eats petrol so that’s an added expense. I can’t afford to change it because nobody will give me a car loan.
The mortgage relief changes don’t apply to me as I remortgaged at height of boom so I don’t think we’re going to qualify. A lot of people I know are in that situation and it won’t make a difference to me or them at all.
I guess what strikes me is that my mortgage interest rate may drop by as much as 0.5 per cent later in the week as I am on a tracker but that will be down to the European Central Bank and not anything done here by the government. That’s ironic and I guess an argument for Ireland staying in the euro.
The changes to the Universal Social Charge might help me and that may be another €20 into my hand every month. But then there’s the money they’re taking out of the health budget which will probably mean the cost of health insurance premiums will go up and I really don’t want to have to give up my insurance.
I think the government is trying to be fair. I get tired of people saying they’re hitting the most vulnerable. I don’t necessarily see the evidence that that’s true. I think the vulnerable have come out better than the middle-class but that’s the fear among the middle-class that you will fall out of that bracket.
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The passenger that will potentially affected is said to be very worried
Sources have just confirmed he will instead drive the 2:30 mins from Cork to Dublin and, to ensure he arrives on time for his meeting, will leave his house 15 minutes earlier then originally planned.
Or possibly a train … seeing as no airliine has operated the Cork/Dublin route for years
There is a flight from Dublin to Cork but it flys via Berlin ;)
I hear Ryanair fly Dublin-Dundalk to Cork-Dungarvan.
Well it’s a bit of a problem if you’re trying to get the UK. For example from Cork flights to places like Bristol and Manchester are operated by Aer Arann
Let them strike. A bus is cheaper and, once security etc. are taken into account, nearly as quick.
Aer Arann operate the majority of the Aer Lingus UK regional routes. A long wait for the next bus …
“The strike, if it goes ahead, will affect Aer Arran flights and regional flights operated on behalf of Aer Lingus.” – The word INTERNATIONAL is not there.
Aer Lingus don’t operate any DOMESTIC Irish routes
Is Eileen Dunne from R.T.E. doing anyone else’s head in with her “Aer Ooran”
Aer lingus regional flights operated by Aer arann primarily go to the UK, I should know, supposed to be heading to Edinburgh on one next Tuesday!!!
Yes. The only domestic flight they operate is from Dublin to Kerry. They’re not really a ‘regional’ airline at all.
I will buy a hat and eat it if they strike. Most of them paid Arran 17000 to start work there. If they strike they will get fired and thus lose the ability to payback their loan.
This isn’t even news?
Has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?
Couldnt agree more Mr Green Baxter.
Strike away and see if anyone cares
Ah good , was loosing sleep over this. They are talking at least. Might be able to grab a nap at least
And here’s me thinking Ryanair were the bad boys of Irish aviation.
Is this going to affect *anyone*?
Me
have your say