Economic recovery will be “broadened and strengthened”, allowing more people back to work, due to the measures introduced in Budget 2015.
This is the view of Galway East Fine Gael TD Paul Connaughton, who described Tuesday’s Budget as “another milestone along the road to economic recovery” and said its “beneficial effects”, such as increases to child benefit, the living alone allowance, the reintroduction of a Christmas bonus - albeit on a reduced scale - along with changes to the unpopular USC, which Minister Noonan says will take 80,000 lower paid workers out of the USC net, “will be welcomed by many and will be felt by families all across the State”.
Dep Connaughton acknowledged that following the economic collapse of September 2008, it had “been a difficult time for people of all ages”, but “the public finances are now under control and the Irish economy is growing at the fastest rate among developed economies”.
Dep Connaughton said the challenge for the Government was to “strengthen consumer confidence, support jobs, and build demand in the domestic economy”.
