The Fine Gael ’Jobs Budget’ would take 50,000 people off the Live Register in 2010 and more than 175,000 by 2013. The Fine Gael plan is driven by a determination to get people off dole queues and back to work, to improve our competitiveness and to correct the fiscal crisis in a fair and balanced manner.
See the Power Point:
Jobs are the focus of Fine Gael’s Budget perspective for 2010. We have to fix our budgetary crisis in a fair and balanced way and we have to restore our competitiveness as a nation, but the top priority for Fine Gael is to get our country back to work. If we don’t get our people back to work we won’t fix our budgetary crisis – it’s as simple as that. That is why Fine Gael has relentlessly pursued pro jobs policies over the last 12 months culminating in the policies and proposals announced in the run-up to this Budget.
Fine Gael’s Budget proposals would see 50,000 people taken off the Live Register in 2010 and 175,000 by 2013. This is based on a combination of the impact of:
- A major cut in the jobs tax (PRSI on employment);
- The roll out of our €18bn NewERA stimulus plan;
- Targeted youth unemployment initiatives;
- Abolition of the airport tax;
- Reversal of the recent VAT increase and short term reduction in the 13.5% VAT rate to 10%.
Fine Gael faces up to the challenge of correcting the crisis in our national finances by making tough choices to generate a net deficit reduction of €4bn whilst allowing for the above pro jobs proposals.