Ask the Minister for an assurance that no one will become homeless because of the budget

		April's mini-budget included cuts in the Rent Supplement scheme which will increase the risk of people becoming homeless. You can help prevent this. In the last week of May the Government will make an automated cut in all rent supplement payments of 8%; this will be on top of an increase of €11 since January in the contribution a tenant must make to their rent. This cut will be made with no reference to the circumstances, vulnerability or disability of the tenant. Most importantly, it will be made with no reference to whether the rent charged by the landlord has actually fallen. The Government hopes that landlords will cut the rents they charge when they hear that their tenants have less money. But if landlords refuse, it is the tenant who must pay the price - or lose their home. As someone who has supported Focus Ireland's campaigns on behalf of homeless people in the past, I hope you will be willing to lend your support to our call for Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin to issue an assurance that no-one will become homeless because of these measures. This seems a small assurance to ask of her. But if she makes this commitment it will be important. We will be able to enter into detailed discussion with Community Welfare Officers about how vulnerable people can be protected. The risks facing people in the private rented sector are not one of the issues which the media is interested in discussing at present. These cuts which may deprive some people of their homes seem likely to slip through with little debate. Don't let that happen. Click on http://takeaction.focusireland.ie/takeaction/mary-hanafin-must-give-assurance/%20and e-mail the Minister and your local TDs on this.

Impact of Budget

Just used budget calculator on Irishtimes website, according to this I will now earn €1900.00 per month.

My rent is €650, my loan repayments are €270.00, electricity comes to about €70, gas about €145.00, NTL €32.00, TV licence €13.00, travel to and from work €40.00, Union Dues €30.00, Internet connection €30.00, Phone €20.00, grocery bills about €220. Leaving a grand total of €380.00 to live on per month.

I suppose it could be worse, but currently spending about 180.00 on smoking, which would leave €200.00 per month, or €50.00 per week.

The smokes have to go, thank God I don't have any kids!

Mini Budget (part one)

Its mini budget day, so it remains to be seen if the Irish government will make sensible decisions for the good of the country or continue to target those sections of society that have the least.

I know what I'm betting on... who exactly voted for Fianna Fail in the last election? (bet you feel really silly now)

This is starting to feel personal...

It looks like the emergancy budget will put €2 on a packet of smokes, and the price of drink will go up also...fair enough but between the pension levy, the promised increases in tax and this it is starting to feel like the government have got together and planned how best to get as much tax as possible out of me personally...

I mean, its unlikely that I'll actually stop smoking... I've tried it before and it didn't work for me... I'll be surrendering any small element of sanity I have left if I can't afford to smoke or drink anymore... at least meet me halfway here lads!

€3,000 hike for TDs as workers' pay is cut

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/83643000-hike-for-tds-as--workers-pay-is-cut-1669838.html

Honestly what the hell do they think they are playing at????

Pension Levy

Pretty much the first bunch of weekly paid staff were hit with the pension levy today, we recieved detailed information about this levy and a few points stuck out with me.

'Other than the President of Ireland and members of the Judiciary, the legislation does
not stipulate any exemptions.'

'Unlike the Income Tax Levy, the Act does not provide for any exemptions to be
made from the PRD should an individual hold a Medical Card.' (medical cards are means tested, so even those on lower incomes will have to pay the so called levy - but lets be honest and call it an additional tax)

'All remuneration will be subject to the PRD – regardless of whether or not this income is deemed pensionable or non-pensionable. This includes, but is not limited to, all overtime payments, “acting up” payments and allowances (pensionable or non-pensionable) that are payable.'

The unfairness of taxing one section of society is obvious to everyone, the fact that even those on lower incomes will be hit by this tax is unfair.

At the moment, in the current climate, many people are already struggling to make ends meet and this tax will only add to the stresses and difficulties that they are facing, this will certainly have a knock-on effect throughout soceity.

The Government is attepting to pit public sector against private sector in a bid to take attention from their own inept decisions in the past, we need to ensure that they are not successful.

Ireland has, under a FF goverenment, experienced dramatic economic growth in recent years, but no provision was made 'for a rainy day'

The current Taoiseach was previously the Minister for Finance, so there is no one that he can pass blame too.

Once again, those who work for this country in the public sector are being punished for governmental mistakes.

So what are we going to do about it?

Strikes!

The pension levy was signed into legislation yesterday, and today the civil servants are out on strike.
I'm guessing we'll be out in the coming weeks, workers unite and all of that!

Dublin Protest

I was in the middle of the 100,000 people protesting in Dublin today, I don't think I've ever seen so many people in the one place... amazing atmosphere.

That said, it remains to be seen what will be achieved. I fear that there will be strikes to follow.

Recession (again)

A little while ago I gave out about how my salary didn't seem to even cover the basic bills anymore, it gets worse.

As a (sort of) public servant - (I work in a University) it seems I will now also be subject to the newly introduced pension levy, which will mean 6% will be taken from my gross salary monthly.

Fan-bloody-tastic.

Recession bites...

This month the combined costs of Gas bills, Electrity bills, rent, television bill, television licence, internet connection, credit union and loan repayment came to €400 more than a months wages; leaving me a grand total of zero for things such as food, clothes and much needed alcohol. Also, said wage was reduced by about €50 because of the new tax.

Damn recession.

Some years ago when I was delighted to be accepted into an access course and go to university I thought that I could get a degree and be fairly 'cash comfortable', however as it was an arts degree it was feck all use to me!

I'm not one of those people with huge dreams, I don't want to be a millionaire, but it would be nice to earn enough money to live on.

Today I am mostly sad, and life seems just a bit harder than it really should be. Tomorrow things will be brighter, I'll still be poor but I'll have gotten giving out about it out of my system.

Bad News for the Irish Writers Centre

Ireland’s writers protest at disturbing decision by the Arts Council of Ireland to terminate funding to the Irish Writers’ Centre with immediate effect.



Ireland's literary fraternity has been stunned by the decision by the Arts Council of Ireland to terminate with immediate effect all funding to the Irish Writers Centre. Their statement, signed by a number of Ireland leading authors, including Maeve Binchy, Booker prize winners, Roddy Doyle, John Banville and Anne Enright, acclaimed International authors Richard Ford and Will Self, leading novelists, Joseph O’Connor, Dermot Bolger, John Boyne and Sebastian Barry, poets Paul Muldoon, Derek Mahon, Paul Durkin, Ciaran Carson and Ireland’s Professor of Poetry Michael Longley and literary figures such as literary agent Jonathan Williams are amongst the 55 signatories on the statement that has been circulated to all the National newspapers in Ireland and the United Kingdom expressing their dismay at this disturbing decision and calling for the urgent reinstatement of funding.



The Irish Writers' Centre, which Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney has called "a part of the literary culture", and best selling author John Boyne has described as “a part of the fabric of literature in Ireland”, is the national development agency for the development of writers and writing in Ireland where one if its primary functions is to foster and develop new writing talent so as to maintain Ireland's leading position in World literature.



Literature is a major part of Ireland's social and cultural history. The Irish Writers’ Centre was a space that writers could call their own. It is the only centre in Dublin devoted to literature that can provide an in-house space for readings, literary events, festivals, creative writing courses, developmental works and was the home to a number of writers groups and National organisations such as the Irish Writers’ Union and the Irish Translators and Interpreters Association. With the termination of funding access to these resources will be lost, leaving the next generation of Irish authors in a vacuum and having to look elsewhere for guidance and development.



If Ireland is to maintain its position as a major literary country it needs to develop new and talented writers who have access to the necessary skills, resources and outlets to further their work which, with the termination of funding to the Irish Writers’ Centre, they will find increasingly difficult.



The Irish Writers' Centre will now have to generate its own financial support to be able to provide the services we offer. To do this we have launched a donation scheme whereby you can donate money online at www.writerscentre.ie or you can send a cheque pledging your support to the centre at 19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1.



We have also set-up an Irish Writers' Centre Benefit night on 22 January at 7 p.m. with leading Irish author and recent winner of the Novel category at the Costa Awards, Sebastian Barry. Tickets are priced at €50 with all the money raised going to the Irish Writers’ Centre. Tickets can be purchased from the Irish Writers’ Centre on 01 872 1302.



With your help our fundraising target of €200,000 can be achieved and our programmes and services for writers reinstated in full.





SIGNED STATEMENT



The Arts Council has recently terminated all funding to The Irish Writers’ Centre, an important national institution for the support, development and promotion of writers and writing. While we acknowledge that cuts are inevitable in the present economic downturn, this decision is nevertheless disturbing. It comes at the end of a notably successful year for the Centre, a year which has seen audience numbers and the Centre’s participation in the country’s literary culture at an all-time high. We therefore strongly urge that this decision be reversed and funding for the work of a thriving cultural organisation (€200,000 in 2008) be reinstated urgently.



John Banville

Sebastian Barry

Maeve Binchy

Dermot Bolger

John Boyne

Liam Browne

Ciaran Carson

Prof. Danielle Clarke, University College Dublin

Harry Clifton

Dr. Steve Coleman, NUI, Maynooth

Kevin Crossley-Holland

Philip Cummings

Peter Cunningham

John F. Deane

Celia De Fréine

Roddy Doyle

Paul Durcan

Anne Enright

Prof. Tadhg Foley, NUI, Galway

Richard Ford

David Gardiner, Director, Creighton University Press

Prof. Luke Gibbons, University of Notre Dame

Hugo Hamilton

Dr Derek Hand, St Patrick's College, Dublin

Kerry Hardie

Sean Hardie

Jack Harte

Aidan Higgins

Alannah Hopkin

Jerzy Jarniewicz

Prof. Margaret Kelleher, NUI, Maynooth

Claire Kilroy

Edna Longley, Professor Emerita, Queen’s University Belfast

Michael Longley, Ireland Professor of Poetry

Deirdre Madden

Derek Mahon

Prof. Kerby A. Miller, University of Missouri

Prof. Sean Moore, University of New Hampshire

Paul Muldoon

Éilis Ní Dhuibhne

Dr. Clare O'Halloran, University College Cork

Sean O’Brien

Joseph O'Connor

Cormac Ó Cuilleanáin ("Cormac Millar")

Timothy O’Grady

Glenn Patterson

Justin Quinn

Ian Sansom

Will Self

Matthew Sweeney

Prof. Lawrence Taylor, NUI, Maynooth

Alan Titley

Shaun Traynor

Prof. Kevin Whelan, Director, Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies, Dublin

Jonathan Williams



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Press relaease from Irish Writers Centre:

The Irish Writers’ Centre

19 Parnell Square

Dublin 1

tel: (01) 872 1302