2011 Irish budget
Main points
This is a list of the main points contained in the 2011 Budget.
- No reduction in state pension.
- €10 reduction in Child Benefit rates.
- €8 cut for social welfare, jobseekers payments.
- 4c on petrol, 2c on diesel from midnight.
- Revised air travel tax of €3 from March 2011.
- €40 payment for fuel allowance recipients.
- New minimum wage not in tax net.
- Public service pay will not be cut
- Public sector salary capped at €250k
- Public service pensions over €12k cut 4%
- Taoiseach salary cut by €14k; ministers by €10k
- Next President's salary to be capped at €250,000
- Employee PRSI/health levy pension relief gone
- Income/health levies to be replaced by single universal social charge. Rates on the charge will be 0% below €4,004 a year, 2% up to €10,036, 4% from €10,036 to €16,016 and 7% above this level
- Pension contributions subject to PRSI and Universal Social Charge
- Employee PRSI contribution ceiling removed
- Increase in the PRSI rate for the self-employed, higher earning public servants and office holders
- 1% tax on residential transactions up to €1m; 2% over €1m
- All stamp duty exemptions abolished
- Car scrappage extended for six months
- No change to Ireland's corporation rate
- Value of tax bands and credits to be reduced by 10%
- DIRT increased by 2%
- Online betting will be subject to the same betting duty as in bookie shops
- Carer's Allowance for those under 66 to be cut by €8 to €212 a week
- Disability Allowance being cut by €8 to €186 a week
- Business Expansion Scheme to be revamped
- 15,000 activation places for unemployed
- Third-level student charges are to rise by €500 to €2000
- Student grants are to be cut by 4%
- New passport fees for over 65s