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BUDGET 2017 HAS been delivered and we’re all calculating the impact.
Two of the most-discussed areas after today’s announcement are those of housing and childcare.
In housing, there was much discussion of the new help-to-buy scheme for first-time buyers, which applies to new builds under €600,000.
The Home Renovation Incentive, a tax credit for repair or renovation is being extended to 2018, and the Mortgage Interest Relief scheme extended beyond 2017.
The threshold for CAT (Capital Acquisitions Tax) will be increased, which should benefit those who inherit a property.
Measures in the rental sector focus on raises the tax ceiling on the rent-a-room relief and in increasing the mortgage interest relief landlords can claim on rental properties.
The big measures announced for children centre around childcare support for parents.
We heard that the ECCE and pre-school schemes will be extended and an Access and Inclusion Model rolled out to help children with disabilities to take part in pre-school education.
A new childcare scheme was the headline for many, with a new Single Affordable Childcare Scheme launching in September 2017. It promises subsidies (some means-tested) for children attending a Tusla-registered childcare provider.
TheJournal.ie will be hosting a special post-Budget Facebook Live session at Facebook HQ in Dublin tomorrow at 7pm with the two ministers with responsibility for Housing and for Children and we want YOUR questions for them.
Simon Coveney, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government and Katherine Zappone, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs will be joining us to provide answers and explanations on what was announced in their sectors in today’s Budget.
What questions or concerns are you left with after Budget 2017? What will impact you? Is there anything missing?
Send your questions to editor@thejournal.ie for us to put to the ministers and join us at 7pm on our Facebook page tomorrow, Wednesday, 11 October.
Meanwhile, in the rest of #Budget17…
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“People are weary of old school politics which has led to years of austerity, unfair cuts and disillusionment.” Zappone, about a week before she voted for Enda Kenny.
Zappone would sell her moth to stay on that ego trip,if I were her I’d invest in a sat nav if there was any cash left over.
@Gerry with a J: It was actually such a spittin in the face
Zappone, a textbook example of a self serving MeFeiner, untrustworthy.
Why is my younger sister in England, my 3 brothers in Australia.?
Better life?
Wont ever come back, such a shame the country is being run into the ground.
Straight forward question TD’s get €6000 today pensioners and those on other benefits get €5 in March. Why?
@Kerry Blake: Now that’s a question that probably won’t be answered.
@Dave Murray: I live in hope Dave…
And ministers have awarded themselves € 11000 a year increase.
7pm tomorrow, why don’t we all not comment or engage with the ‘show’. Watch the tumbleweeds blow by. That would be funny. Of course their little keyboard pals would ruin it, wouldn’t they?
€5 will get an elderly person a meal for one .. next March . Comparing this to the 6k they got and it’s just sickening. …
I have 2 children, they are in crèche 3 days a week. It costs 8 euro a month less than the mortgage. Why couldn’t you make childcare tax deductible or available as a benefit in kind from your employer with some form of tax break there?
They couldn’t give a toss. They’re going to be answering questions about their favorite GAA team and what’s best for the environment..Childcare??? Blaaaa
@Neil..They’re your own children, stop bloody moaning and whinging and look after them, why do you want the taxes of others to look after them…? Jog on FFS
@Turk Oneeighttwo: I’d like my own taxes to look after them, thanks.
i think Turk has a point, your own taxes don’t cover it so you are looking for others to subsidise it, it might be time to see if it’s more beneficial to you and your kids to stay at home.
We’ve looked at it, it’s marginally better financially to be working but its a fairly close thing.
Why does it make more sense to be on the jobseekers than in work?
@Paul: That’s an easy one. It doesn’t.
Petr. . Someone on social versus someone on minimum wages .. you go work it out and get back to us .. bear in in mind now all the extra benefits that come with being on the social ..
@Suzie Sunshine: That’s a very vague comments. You’re making a claim here, so it’s very simple. Lay out the figures. Compare a 40 hour week on minimum wage with a week on JSA with these mysterious “extra benefits”. If you’re right, the numbers will speak for themselves and I’ll be proved wrong.
Over to you!
You’re making the claim that it doesn’t .. how does it not ?
Dj .. he has his head in the clouds …
I’d go with Suzie on this one, time for a factcheck. Is a minimum wage job overall worth less than than being on the dole? Let’s take is as 2 school going kids and the parents. I’d bet the dole with all the extra allowances and forbearances win out big time.
Suzie got busted! :)
Lol I didn’t at all . You seriously can’t be that naive. …. but then again ….
It applies also to part time work as well not just a 40 hour job, when first out of college I had a part time job for €220 a week for 20 hours and was told I was entitled to absolutely nothing from social welfare because I was earning too much. Considering travel costs I was less well off than I would have been if I just did absolutely nothing, it doesn’t seem like a fair system which rewards those who seek employment.
“Lol I didn’t at all . You seriously can’t be that naive”
It would take a Junior Cert pass maths student about half a minute to prove me wrong. But for some reason you’re reluctant. I wonder why.
Naive it is so…
@Suzie Sunshine: Making claims and then running away when asked to substantiate them it is so…
Petr. Eh that’s exactly what you did … you claimed that it didn’t … you don’t need to spell it out for you unless that is you’re still in school and not living in the real world yet …
How far is it from Blessington to Dail Eireann?
Zappone lives in Brittas, Co. Dublin, 22km from Dail Eireann, not the 25km she claimed for her expenses, an apparent deliverate falsehood that will cost taxpayers an additional more than €80,000 over 5 years.
http://cf.broadsheet.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/st-4.jpg
We wanted a new way of doing politics. This isn’t it.
Convey jog on useless & zapponi go back to where you came . Budget no difference to any 1 it’s an insult
Like they’ll take any real questions from the electorate! All questions will be screened and approved in advance with non answers given
The solution. The government should start training child care workers in the abandoned dit colleges. then open state run crèches around the country like the swedish system. It would help solve 2 problems the crèche costs and the unemployment problem
@Patrick Gough: Enough of your common sense, that’s not welcome in these parts…
Katherine, i voted for you on a promise to be an independent change (and to push for a repeal of the 8th). You have let me and thousands others down who don’t see a difference between you and the FG councillor who you beat in the election. I will not be voting for you ever again after propping up a minority government, and implementing the same policies that continue to treat those who voted for you like a cash cow. Why did i get you so wrong?
@Alien8: In fairness…..
You’re wrong a lot here.
153 euro increase from the usc rate. 38% increase in my car insurance. Still paying 600 plus tax on my 11 year old car. Any fairness there?
Blame the greens for that situation
I know couldn’t vote for them again because of it
I would like to ask minister zapone is she in favour of abortion on demand in the Republic of Ireland ?
This child care cr ap is obviously social engineering and is unfair to parents who do not want their children in care. Parents know what is best for kids not the flippin government. or agenda heads like Zapone.
What objections does the minister for children have to lowering the age of criminal responsibility, to say, 15?
Do you believe a government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have?
Genuine question,
Minister Zapone and minister Covney
Do you think it is fair for a former minister and Tanaiste to have a child child in court on false imprisonment charges.
The boy is from Minister Zapone’s constituency.
Thanks
Stephen.
Finnart Fail have abondoned the elderly
Will there be any help for people who want to build their first home?
What would Zappone do to help the hundreds of thousands of men being physically abused by their wives and partners? Their plight so completely ignored by society
Do you agree with Hillary Clintons statement “politicans should hold a different private and public opinion ” and don’t start with I “THINK”.
That convey is a sly worm. ..
have your say