D Thursday, December 10, 2009 METRO Quotes of the day... Finance Minister Brian Lenihan opens his Budget speech: Today, I can report that notwithstanding the difficulties of the last eight months, we are now on the road to economic recovery. South Kerry Independent TD Jackie Healy-Rae sets out his stall after securing funding for Kenmare Hospital: It has nothing to do with the Budget, but it was one of the things that was in my book. Labour leader Eamon Gilmore branded the Budget: Viciously anti- family, fundamentally unfair and socially divisive. Fine Gaels Alan Shatter called it a beer for children Budget: It seems that their answer to hard-pressed young families who are finding it difficult to make ends meet is straight out of the Marie Antoinette school of politics. With regard to children, their message is forget the food and milk let them drink beer. Michael McLaughlin, Youth Work Ireland, said: Ireland cannot drink its way out of recession. Professor Joe Barry, public health specialist at Trinity College Dublin, said: It is the people who have a problem who will suffer, and there are many thousands of them in Ireland. Impact trade union leader Peter McLoone warns what the cuts will bring: The Government has opted for industrial conflict and has walked away from a framework to protect the range and quality of public services over the coming years. Blair Horan, head of the Civil and Public Service Union appeared resigned to troubled months ahead when asked if the country faced a Winter of Discontent, saying: Unfortunately it is. Fine Gaels Richard Bruton hit out at the mechanical failure: Instead of taking the radical steps to recondition an engine that you have failed, that you have brought to a standstill. Instead of seeing that attempt, ordinary people are being asked to get out and push. Congress leader David Begg despairs at the Governments plan: It will drive the economy deeper into recession. It will cost thousands of jobs. There is no possibility of an early recovery. were let off lightly compared with the past. The 25-year-old from Avoca, Co Wicklow buys up to 80,000 litres of diesel a year, and said the Carbon Tax will have a serious impact on his costings and queried when a tax would be put on cows. Rosemary McCann, 45, from Dublins Harolds Cross, an unemployed legal secretary, said the Budget was worse than she expected. She has been out of work for more than a year. I think it was coming and its fair if everyone is getting it, but I fear there has been nothing on the top earners, she said. Its unfair that theyve come from the bottom up and not the top down. Ms McCann said the cuts will hit families at the worst time of the year. There isnt one area left alone. This Christmas, batten down the hatches. Anne McLoughlin, 35, from Trim, Co Meath, said there wasnt too much pain for her, having already suffered a 25 per cent pay-cut. Ive had my pain already this year, in January, said the married television producer. It hasnt impacted too much on me, because Im in the private sec- tor and I pay my own pension. She added: Its obviously a horrible Budget for people in the public sector but it was inevitable. Its only redressing what the private sector has already gone through, with worse still to come. Swingeing Budget cuts bring a mixed reactionBY CON DOHERTYYESTERDAYS Budget was met with mixed re- actions across society as people weighed up the impact of Brian Lenihans economic plan. Unemployed HR manager Una Murray, a 36- year-old single mother from Rush, said despite cuts in social welfare and child allowance it was a fair Budget in the circumstances. Ms Murray, who has been unable to get a job since being made redundant in June, also com- mended extra funding for training and supports. I thought it would be a lot worse, she said. It works out at almost 32 per month less. Its a small cut given the circumstances. Mark ODoherty, from Castlebar, Co Mayo, an unemployed financial services worker, suggested cuts could have gone further. I would have been happy to let them cut it more, he said. I think 204 is ludicrous if you are unmarried, with no children. I was willing to take more of the pain. But Mr ODoherty, 26, whose family own a clothes store in the town, said he feared the cuts to VAT and Excise may not stem the flow of shoppers heading north. I still think people will have a perception the north is cheaper, he said. The Budget overall is deflationary. And another one or two budgets like this and things should be improving. Caragh Neeson, 29, from Killarney, works on the minimum wage as a trainee accountant. She has a four-year-old boy and said child benefit cuts should have been targeted at the better-off. He should have taken a top down approach, Ms Neeson said. You have a lot of higher earn- ers receiving child benefit thats totally irrelevant. The likes of us, were relying on it. Its my extra money for my car tax, insurance, my refuse, and bills coming in. Im already feeling the pinch. Secondary school teacher Philip Irwin, a 49- year-old father of two, said the Budget targeted one group of people public sector workers. It reminds me of Clint Eastwoods comment in The Outlaw Josey Wales: Dont p**s down my back and tell me its raining, he said. To be told we are over the worst when every public sec- tor is taking a cut in wages is annoying. Shay Kinsella, a 29-year-old national school teacher at Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, Inchicore, hit out at social welfare cuts. I work with people on social welfare and that extra is essential to them, he said. I think it should be untouchable. Tillage farmer Stuart Fitzgerald felt farmers Una Murray: Could have been worse Shay Kinsella: Welfare is untouchable Caragh Neeson: Feeling the pinch index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html