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Ever morning, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you need to know before 9am…
1. #CHILD BENEFIT The Sunday Times reports this morning that child benefit is going to be cut by €10 a month in the forthcoming budget, and that the cut will apply across the board. The news comes despite promises not to cut welfare rates, although information contained in the leaked budget documents seen by TheJournal.ie indicates that the government will heavily target social welfare to achieve savings.
2. #UNIVERSAL SOCIAL CHARGE Meanwhile it’s also reported today that the universal social charge is to be reduced for lower earners. The Sunday Business Post also reports that tax exiles will be targeted while there will be in increase in pupil-teacher ratios in fee-paying schools. You can take a look at more of the government’s plans in TheJournal.ie’s coverage of the leaked budget documents.
3. #ROAD DEATHS Memorial services will be held across the country today to remember those who have died on the roads. The services form part of the World Day of Remembrance Day for Road Traffic Victims. Nearly 3,500 people die on the roads around the world each day, according to the UN. One hundred and sixty eight have died in road collisions in Ireland so far this year.
4. #SYRIA A key Syrian opposition group says a major building belonging to the ruling Baath party in Damascus has been hit by at least two rocket-propelled grenades. The attack, which has been reported by the Local Coordination Activist Network, marks the first significant attack on a government building in the capital.
5. #SPAIN Spanish people go to the polls today, expecting to vote in a new government. Bloomberg reports that the opposition leader Mariano Rajoy may win the biggest majority in almost 30 years. He’s pledged to create jobs and implement policy changes. Ireland, Italy, Greece and Portugal have already seen changes in government as a result of the debt crisis.
6. #OBAMA A newspaper in Australia has found a booklet containing classified details of President Barack Obama’s visit to the country in a gutter in Canberra. A reporter from The Age found the booklet near the entrance to the parliament buildings. It contained information about Obama’s security detail and mobile phone numbers of officials.
7.#JAPAN There are no immediate reports of damage after a 5.5 quake in Northern Japan which was felt in Tokyo. No damage has been reported at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Japan was devastated by a 9 magnitude quake in March.
8. #BEHIND THE WHEEL A mother in Delaware in the US was arrested after she allowed her nine-year-old son to drive her car to school, with her in the passenger seat. After he arrived at the school, she got into the driver’s seat and headed for home. Concerned witnesses contacted school officials, who called the police according to the Delaware News Journal.
9. #TYRE-SOME Finally, a massive collected of dumped tyres in South Carolina in the US has been found to be visible from space. Yahoo reports that one person has been charged with dumping 250,000 old tyres, which cover more than 50 acres and can be seen in satellite images.
Image: Rainier Ehrhardt/AP
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Why Why Why can’t they means test child benefit,super wealthy people like sean quinn prob don’t even know there getting it. This govt has had enough time.There really just as bad as the last..Maybe feckin worse
Sean Quinn gave his wife and kids billions in cash before he ended up penniless. “Here dad here’s 50 million to tie you over for the Christmas” “thanks son but it’s ok your sister just gave me 60, it should last till paddy’s day.”
you hit the nail on the head there. broke me hole.
I don’t believe the budget documents where leaked to Germany, I believe they where created there. Don’t have proof just a feeling.
I’m inclined to agree with you, Pat. We are never, ever properly informed about any Government decisions. Whatever the reasoning behind this the results are the same. How can we even sincerely vote for anybody when we’re only told what ‘they’ want us to know? Knowledge is power, and we know – at least that – who has the power? I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Ireland’s ‘penalty’ as a result of being bailed out, is having to hand our affairs over to Germany like naughty children because we’re not capable of managing them ourselves. Thanks Bertie et al!
“can be seen from space” is not a big deal any more, the wheelie bin in my garden can be seen from space. Pretty sure I can see the neighbours dog on Google Earth too.
Remember Brendan Grace telling us a car without a tax disc could be spotted from outer space – yet they couldn’t find Osama bin Laden!! (Yes, I know – that was a good while ago).
Agree with what your saying but Sean Quinn was declared bankrupt last week!
Ah, sure he’ll be grand..
bankrupt in the uk .back in business in 12 months .wanker he is
I think there should be a comma after the word “country” in story 6 or it reads like “Obamas visit to the country in a gutter” and he did that in may when he visited us.
This is literally the most pedantic post of all time.
Dude have you ever been to Australia??
nothing seems very logical or rational.
those at the bottom of the ladder CANNOT cope anymore with continually having their meagre wealth cut at source.
we need severe action from all vulnerable groups, by that i mean, single mothers, low earners, disabled people and the elderly.
ALL are capable of peaceful protest, so where are they?
i intend to get on the wheelchair to Dail Eireann in the next few weeks.
I yearn for a collective visual response before this budget.
The next 6? Nations, we’ll answer Deutchlands call…
For the record, the German anthem is fantastic.
For the record were living on German money
Someone said I should move my Euros to a German bank. Should I?
“changes in government”…not really, we just got the same with different faces
Any and all welfare benefits should only be given to those who need them. It is ridiculous that the wealthy are automatically awarded child benefit money, just as it is obscene that the really dependent recipients have theirs cut by 10 euro or whatever. If you’re poor, that’s a lot of money still.
It’s not as if the better off can’t be identified, they’re in the tax system.
The rich pay taxes, don’t they?
(sorry, that was meant for a comedy script I’m working on)
Are the govt and the civil servants too idle to get off their arses and do something fair, for a change?
‘The news comes despite promises not to cut welfare rates’ – well, actually what they promised was no cuts to ‘core’ welfare rates. Nowhere have the people of Ireland been given a definition of what the government considers ‘core’. Weasel words from Bertie’s playbook!
high earners shouldn’t get child allowance….means testing it would sort that….plus some people stil have 18 year olds in school but they dont qualify for child allowance and don’t qualify for any other allowance….how stupid is that..if child is still at school they should still qualify for it how else are you supposed to feed and clothe them
I believe it is time for action talking has got us no where talk with our feet parents march on Dublin, F GAEL REMEMBER TAX ON CHILDREN SHOES BROUGHT DOWN YOUR GOVERMENT ONCE
Can we sack the useless shower we have got and rather than employ a party employ the right individual for the job? Give them a 1 year contract in that post and if they meet our targets they get to stay on?? Real question as I don’t know what the constitution says about it.
have your say