WE’VE been waiting with dread for weeks, being drip
fed snippets of information as a means to soften the final blow. But, when
Budget 2012 finally arrived last week, was it the final nail in the coffin, or
did it deliver a drop of hope for the future?
Northside People took to the streets to ask Dubliners
what they thought.
Northside Fianna Fail councillor Paul McAuliffe took
time out from his busy schedule to convey his views on the budget. Being in
politics he knows the difficult job that the Government had in balancing the
books. But he doesn’t necessarily agree with how they went about it.
“Obviously there is a difficult task in reducing the
level of spending and we all know that that has to be done,
? he said.
“I think it’s about making choices. But I do think
that the e100 household charge is very unfair. The way that it applies is
unfair. For somebody who is renting a penthouse in the docklands it doesn’t
apply, and yet if you are buying a council house in Finglas West, it does.
“It doesn’t take into account what income you might
have or your outgoings.
?
Like many others, Cllr McAuliffe believes that
originally proposing cuts to the disability allowance was a bad move by the
Government.
“I think the changes to disability for young people
was really unfair, and I think the Government had to make the changes to that,
?
he continued.
“I’m also really surprised that some of the Labour TDs
are supporting an increase in the student charges when they signed a pledge
that would reverse them.
?
Angela Mooney was also pleased to see the Government’s
u-turn on the cut to the disability allowance.
“I was glad to see the disability allowance wasn’t cut
yet, but that’s not to say they won’t do it in the summer,
? she told Northside
People.
“I think it’s terrible the way they treat those with
disabilities. They can hardly manage as it is – and it’s the same for the
people who look after them – without cutting more money on them.
“I know of a girl who was glued to the television all
week hoping that nothing would happen to their allowance.
?
When it comes to the household charge, Angela doesn’t
know how she is going to afford to pay it.
“I won’t be able to pay it, I really won’t,
? she said.
“We are even paying for our bins now. And whether you put the bin out or not
they still charge.
?
But according to Angela, it seems that as a nation we
all give out about what’s happening, but nobody is willing to stand up and say
enough is enough.
“We all talk, but we do nothing. We should do as the
French do. Everybody stop, close down everything, and people go to Leinster
House to tell the Government what they are doing to the people.
?
Valerie Jenkins, who is full time carer to her mother,
Anne, is finding it hard to make ends meet from week to week.
“I collect my mother’s money on Wednesday and my own
on Thursday, and by Friday we don’t have a penny,
? she explained.
“Some days I don’t have dinner, so that my mother can
have a breakfast, dinner and tea because I can’t stretch it any more.
?
Valerie and Anne believe that this recession is much
worse that the last one in the 1980s.
“I remember the recession from the eighties and this
is much worse. It’s just the rich getting richer, and the poor getting poorer.
I don’t see why they can’t tax the higher earners and give us a break.
?
On
his way to cash in his Lotto ticket was Sinn Fein councillor Larry O’Toole.
Cllr O’Toole, like many of the people he represents, is totally against the
cuts brought in by the Fine Gael-led coalition.
“I
think it was a terrible budget,
? he said.
“Before it happened they were saying
this and that, leading people in to a false sense of security.
“Now
people are looking at it and saying I don’t know. Well, the devil is in the
detail. There are bits and pieces in there that are going to crucify people. I
am totally against the household charge.
“People might think it’s e100 per
year, but it is not going to stay like that. People are going to be asked to
pay this and it’s just another little extra burden.
?
Cllr
O’Toole added:
“It is full of bad things for ordinary working class people.
?
Local
man Gary Byrne feels that the Government’s initial attempt to cut disability
allowance was not well thought out.
“For
the last 20 years they have continually downgraded services financially, and on
top of that they attempted to introduce this cut to disability allowance, and
clearly that wasn’t well thought out.
“Another
cut that alarmed me was to fuel allowance.
“I
don’t know what it would cost, but in the broad scheme of things it wouldn’t
have been too much money.
“I
appreciate they have difficult decisions to make, but when the Taoiseach goes
on television and indicates that they would leave the elderly alone and
disabled alone and then this happens, it would make you wonder what hidden
agendas they might have.
?
Mary
Roche equates the current economic climate to the hardship of times past. She
believes that the biggest sufferers of budget cuts are children.
“It’s like
going back to when I was a child,
? she said.
“A
lot of parents can’t afford to educate their kids, especially if they keep
putting up the fees. And yet we just sit down and take it.
?
Mary’s
son is one of the many young people who has been forced to emigrate due to lack
of work.
“My
son had to go away to work and I’m lucky if I see him once a year,
? she added.
Mary
believes that those responsible for our economic woes should be held
accountable.
“Why
don’t they penalise the people who have put us in this position?
?
Ãine
Sweeney, from Artane, is seriously thinking of emigrating and believes that
things will only get worse.
“This
is just the first budget from this Government,
? she said.
“They
have told us there are more to come.
“Luckily I don’t have any commitments here
and am looking at going to Canada, but I know that will break my mother’s
heart.
?
Ãine
says that the one thing that stands out to her in this budget is the new
household charge.
“We
have this so called household charge, which is a property tax by another name,
?
she added.
“Lots
of people have paid stamp duty on their houses and are still paying off the
money they borrowed to pay that. Now Kenny and Noonan expect them to pay
again.
?
“I
think they took everything from us,
? was local woman Helen Tyrrell’s first
reaction to the budget.
Helen
is particularly irate with the cuts to children’s allowance.
“It’s
driving me mad,
? she stated.
“And yet they are in the papers saying people are
not down much. My children will be lucky to eat after Christmas due to what was
taken from me.
?
Sandra
Watkins feels the Government’s proposed cut to disability allowance was a step
too far.
“I
thought that the cuts to the disability allowance were quite sneaky,
? she
declared.
“I know that they said they are putting it on hold, but I’m sure they
will take something at a future date. I just think that it is wrong.
?
Sandra
believes there is only so much people will take, and that mass protests similar
to what has been witnessed in Greece could be on the cards.
“There
is only so much people can do, and it will eventually cause trouble,
? she
feels.
“Come next September, people won’t have the money for the kids going
back to school. They have cut the back to school allowance too. What you get at
the moment only pays for three or four books.
?
Mary
Kavanagh is on a pension and wasn’t affected too much by the budget, but is
totally against the new household charge.
“I’ve
just finished paying off my mortgage and now they expect me to pay e100. And
what will it be after the next budget and all the subsequent budgets? This
Government is just as bad as the last crowd. They said they were different but
they are like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
?
Fellow
pensioner Dermot Kirwin feels that this budget was extremely difficult,
especially for the unemployed.
“I
thought it was really tough, especially for those on the dole,
? he said.
“I
don’t know how people are meant to manage. I am on a pension myself and you
have to watch every penny. I don’t think anyone will get away without been
affected in some way, whether through the household charge or VAT increases.
It’s just that people on lower incomes will be hit more than those on a higher
income.
?
Students
Conor Skevin and Emma McGrath will both be affected by the recent increase in
college fees.
As
both are applying for a place at NCAD, they are not sure how they are going to
afford it.
“We’re
both applying for a photography course next
year and fees have gone up and costs of materials have gone up,
? Conor
said.
Emma
outlined the cost involved in applying for a place.
“There
are fees of e1,000 for a photography course,
? she pointed out.
“I don’t know if
I will be able to afford it. And on top of that you have to buy your own
camera.
?
When
asked whether they might both have a future in Ireland, the resounding answer
was no.
“I
don’t see any prospects of getting a job,
? Emma admitted.
“My
brother is in Australia, so I might just end up going over there,
? Conor added.