2010 Irish budget

The budget for 2010 occurred in the context of a major recession, which followed the Irish financial crisis. It also followed the difficult 2009 budget, which led to widespread protests, as well as a supplementary emergency budget in April 2009. This meant that the 2010 budget was the third to be delivered by the Finance Minister in only fourteen months. ==Budget summary==

The following are the main points of Budget 2010. • 4% cut in social welfare payments, excluding the state old age pension • Child benefit decreased by €16 each month, although welfare-dependent families remain unchanged • 20–21 year-olds Jobseekers' Allowance decreased to €100 per week in the event of these not having any dependents, 22–24 year-olds Jobseekers' Allowance decreased to €150 per week, the latter point also applying to anyone who does not take a job when offered • 5–10% cut in public sector pay • Carbon tax introduced • High end VAT reduced from 21.5% to 21% • Each item on medical card prescription to cost 50c after April 2010 • Higher income tax for PAYE earners (Due to tax credits being cut) • A new Universal Social Charge (USC) to replace the Health levy portion of PRSI • At least €70 million towards those affected by recent flooding and to the prevention of similar disasters in future Excise duties on beer and cider were decreased by 12 cent, excise duties on a half-glass of spirits were decreased by 14 cent and a bottle of wine was decreased by 60 cent, with a warning from the Finance Minister that these reductions were open to being recalled if consumers did not benefit. The salary of the Taoiseach was decreased by 20 per cent on a permanent basis. Sport The Government allocated €115 million for sport, a decrease from the previous year's €127 million. ==Reaction==

Taoiseach Brian Cowen said the Government would "do whatever was necessary to stabilise the deficit" and that "a job needed to be done", whilst maintaining that the Budget was "well received". Fine Gael's Richard Bruton responded to Brian Lenihan's claim that "the worst is over" by comparing the statement to former U.S. President George W. Bush declaring "mission accomplished" on the Iraq War in 2003. Sinn Féin's leader in the Dáil Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin described anyone who had constructed Budget 2010 as "economically illiterate". The Irish Nurses Organisation described the public servant pay decrease as "grossly unfair, short-sighted, damaging and provocative" and would lead to "grave hardship". The National Campaign for the Arts expressed relief and pleasure that it had not been affected very much by the Budget. Youth Work Ireland described the targeting of young people as "pure cynicism [...] a cynical move when contrasted with the 30,000 young people turned away from education courses last October". Political Correspondent for The Irish Times Harry McGee dubbed it "the most austere Budget in the history of the State". The Irish Examiner said it "can only be described as one of the toughest Budgets in the history of the State". The BBC called it "one of the most severe budgets in the Republic's history". The New York Times referred to it as the "harshest budget in generations". Global investors approved the measures introduced by Brian Lenihan, with Irish government bonds receiving a boost following the Budget. Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson announced two days after the delivery of Budget 2010 that she would be happy to take a 10 per cent reduction in her pension, a further 10 per cent added to what she had previously offered earlier that year. Former RTÉ Economics Correspondent turned Fine Gael TD George Lee gave his view in the Galway Independent the following week under the headline: "not fair, not clever and not going to fix economy". Lee was critical of the proposed car scrappage scheme, saying it would benefit only the likes of France, Germany and Japan where the new cars would be imported from. == Social Welfare Bill and "unparliamentary language" controversy ==

Attempts by the government to quickly legalise the Social Welfare Bill proposed in the Budget before the weekend were met with disapproval from the Opposition. Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny criticised the Government for "acting in a disgraceful manner" and challenged them, "If you think you can come in here and do whatever you want you have another thing coming". Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore suggested the Government would "round up its six strays and get here this evening to vote on the measure", in a thinly veiled reference to supporting Independents as well as those within Fianna Fáil who had lost the whip. Jimmy Devins and Eamon Scanlon were specifically referred to by Gilmore as "the two strays from Sligo". Gogarty was later condemned and forced to apologise for his use of "unparliamentary language" after he yelled "Fuck you, Deputy Stagg, fuck you" at veteran Labour Party TD Emmet Stagg during the debate on the Social Welfare Bill on 11 December 2009. Fine Gael Senator Frances Fitzgerald remarked, "If only Paul Gogarty got as upset about carers, blind pensioners and dole recipients as he does about perceived slights to his ego." It was discovered that "fuck" was not actually contained alongside such terms as "brat"; "buffoon"; "communist"; "coward"; "fascist"; "guttersnipe"; "hypocrite"; "rat"; "scumbag"; "scurrilous" and "yahoo" in Salient Rulings of the Chair, an 83-page document governing parliamentary language. Green Party deputies were described as "less than pleased" at Gogarty's conduct. The Social Welfare Bill passed by 81 to 75 votes on the evening of 11 December. ==Estimated total receipts==

Estimated tax receipts Estimated of tax receipts for fiscal year 2010 are €31.930 billion (−1.9%). Non-tax revenue Estimated of non-tax revenue for fiscal year 2010 are €2.355 billion (+182.4%). ==See also==