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THE LARGEST BUDGET in the history of the State will be released today.
The government is working on the assumption that there will be a no-deal Brexit and that a vaccine for Covid-19 will not be available next year.
With the Covid-19 restrictions, this Budget Day will be a little different from the usual state of affairs.
One major change is that the procedures will not take place at Leinster House this year, instead the Dáil will be seated in the Dublin Convention Center to ensure that full attendance can be accommodated.
This year there will also be two speeches, with the Minister of Finance, Paschal Donohoe, and the Minister of Public Expenditure, Michael McGrath, to address the TDs.
Donohoe will stand up first at 1 pm to read his budget speech.
McGrath will follow, and each of the ministers’ speeches will last 45 minutes.
As the main opposition party, Sinn Féin will receive an hour’s response. The other six opposition parties and groups will have 45 minutes each. Speeches will be given at 8 pm.
The vote on the budgetary measures will begin at 8.30 pm and will end before midnight.
Immediate changes are voted on tonight (such as excise duties or cigarette price hikes), but voting on some of the most important issues takes place in the days that follow.
New normal
While the Budget Day main event takes place in the Dáil chamber, much of the activity surrounding it actually takes place elsewhere.
Included in all of this are the journalists who try to control everything and the pressure groups who try to make their reaction heard.
In fact, much of the reaction tends to come through press conferences and interviews at the nearby Buswells Hotel. But with Covid-19 making such events impossible, the famous hotel won’t do any additional business on the current budget.
“Usually I would have, I don’t want to say people step out of the limelight, but there will certainly be a lot of journalists here in large numbers catching up with people in the industry,” explains General Manager Paul Gallagher.
To be honest, it won’t generate any additional business. We have 20 rooms reserved and most of them are Senators and TDs who stay overnight. We will have RTÉ broadcasting a certain amount of coverage from here, because they are classified as essential workers, so luckily we will have them. That means we will at least have something to do.
Since the regular press conferences are not held, the groups are coming up with alternative ways to get their message across this year.
Social Justice Ireland (SJI) is one of those organizations that does things differently – with a live event online rather than the usual in-person Q&A.
SJI generally holds an event at Buswells the morning after budget, but this year they will host a “Prime Time” -style live broadcast with the help of media producer Kairos Communications.
Rather than a crowded Buswells Assembly Hall, the briefing will be from a television studio in Maynooth.
“We did a similar event a few weeks ago with our Budget Choices briefing,” says SJI CEO Seán Healy. TheJournal.ie.
The set will have our colors and our brand and will be presented in a kind of Prime Time style. It’s Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. M. And it’s not like a webinar that you have to sign up for, it can be viewed directly from our website and people will be able to submit questions.
Healy adds that most of the actual analysis of the SJI Budget will also be done remotely:
We have a team of 14 people and normally we all meet together, but this time only some of us get together and the rest are going to work remotely. We will have a series of Zoom meetings throughout the afternoon and evening.
“Basically, what we will do is analyze the budget once the documents are available and then we will give an answer in all areas.”
The virtual format is one that is being replicated by different think tanks, pressure groups, and campaigns.
ESRI’s regular post-budget briefing will take place via Zoom on Friday, as will another from community group The Wheel.
Other groups have wanted to emphasize that representatives will be free to receive calls from the media during the course of Budget Day.
RTÉ has said that its coverage will be almost constant from 12:45 this afternoon until a Prime Time budget special at 9.40 in the afternoon.
Protests
Budget Day protests last year.
Source: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie
Budget Day is often accompanied by protests around Dáil, but Covid-19 restrictions make the scale of such demonstrations likely to be less than in other years.
However, Gardaí has said that they expect protests to take place today and are reminding people that organizing certain events could break the law.
However, attending events is not against the laws enacted during the pandemic.
“Gardaí expects protests to take place in Dublin city center on October 13, 2020. A Garda Síochána has no role in allowing or authorizing protest marches or gatherings, no permission / authorization is required for such events” Gardaí said in a statement to TheJournal.ie.
The Health Act of 1947 (Section 31A-Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No 6) Regulations 2020, as amended, are currently in effect and establish criminal restrictions on individuals who host certain events. A Garda Síochána will investigate any breach of these regulations. Whenever possible, An Garda Síochána will inform the identified organizers of such events about their responsibilities and possible consequences.
“Individual social responsibility (personal assistance, social distancing, wearing of masks in public areas) and other similar public health guidelines are not criminal regulations.”
What can we expect from the budget speech?
No income tax increases or cuts are expected in the budget, but adjustments are expected in the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).
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While there have been calls to restore the PUP to its initial level of € 350 per week, such a move is unlikely.
Changes and adjustments in the scheme are likely, perhaps sector by sector, with additional support for those working in the areas that have been most affected.
The Taoiseach said TheJournal.ie Recently, some workers may be able to accept jobs while withholding their pay.
It was also revealed over the weekend that a VAT reduction is also expected for the tourism industry.
The carbon tax will go up again today. Donohoe said that the funds raised will be targeted to protect those at risk of energy poverty. He also said that the funds will be used to advance the adequacy of homes for energy efficiency.
A media package worth millions for live concerts and the music industry is also expected to be part of the budget.
As for the state pension, an increase of 5 euros has almost become common, but this year the beneficiaries may not see the increase.
Instead, an increase of € 5 per week has been proposed for those who receive the allowance to live alone.
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien wants to expand Ireland’s Buying Assistance program, which provides a tax rebate of up to € 30,000 to first-time buyers. This could extend into the new year.
Social housing will also be part of the key budget announcements.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee has secured additional funding for 600 new Garda recruits next year, as well as an additional 500 civilian employees to enable a jump into frontline police.
Funding has also been secured to replace Gardaí’s 70 used rental cars at the end of this year with permanent patrol cars that will be delivered before Christmas.
The government also has to plan for the worst, so significant resources are likely to be allocated to the sectors that will be most affected by a no-deal Brexit.
While the July stimulus implemented loan and grant schemes, more announcements are likely to be made on similar topics. The business rate holidays for businesses are expected to run into next year.
An increase in taxes on cigarettes is expected. However, some questions remain about whether there will be an increase in alcohol prices given the precarious position in which publicans have been placed in recent months.
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