The Tánaiste Joan Burton has said she fully believes the next Budget will see a significant improvement in living standards for everyone in 2016.
Ms Burton said that her and the Governments main objective is to lower the Universal Social Charge which will be of benefit to low and middle-income workers. Ms Burton made her comments when she was questioned outside the Dail recently, when the Tanaiste was asked if the upcoming Budget was to her satisfaction Ms Burton replied that current negotiations were coming along with everyone agreeing to certain measures.
Ms Burton also told reporters that she was fully in favour of the Taoiseach’s proposed working family payment scheme, saying that she and her department had worked hard to introduce the scheme over the past couple of years. The Tánaiste also said her department had a very big spend on the Family Income Supplement, which she said supports 55,000 families.
The Tanaiste also responded to questions regarding the Minister for Finance Michael Noonan and Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Alan Kelly’s recent clash during recent talks about the current housing crisis, Ms Burton said everybody in Government was conscious that the supply of houses drying up which was one of the worst consequences of the economic crash.
Ms Burton told reporters a lot of the discussions had focussed on how to get a supply of affordable houses for young people, how to hold on to properties under rent supplement, the Rental Accommodation Scheme and Housing Assistance Payment scheme, and how to continue to make those schemes attractive for landlords.