Social Justice Ireland publishes its Policy Briefing on Budget Choices 2013

• The current approach to resolving Ireland’s series of crises is not working.
• This situation has been exacerbated by the Government’s protection of the rich at the expense of the rest of us.
• Budget 2013 should provide a major investment programme and protect public services.
• It should also make the tax system fairer and distribute the ‘hits’ fairly.
• All of this can be done while reducing borrowing by €3.5bn in 2013.

Social Justice Ireland‘s latest Policy Briefing claims that the current approach to resolving Ireland’s crisis is protecting the rich at the expense of the rest of us. Banks and bondholders have been prioritised over tax-payers. Budget 2012 targeted the poor more than the rich and provided very little investment. Without investment there will be no jobs. Without jobs there will be no recovery. Without a recovery Ireland will be forced to continue its current austerity programme indefinitely. 

The briefing, titled ‘Budget Choices’, presents a fully-costed series of proposals for Budget 2013 that would see Ireland’s borrowing reduced by €3.5bn, provide substantial targeted investment, make the tax system fairer and protect public services as well as the vulnerable and the communities in which they live. It proposes no changes in social welfare rates or in Child Benefit and if implemented would see the ‘hits’ distributed more fairly in Budget 2013.

Document can be downloaded here