Is an 18% rate going to fix a banjaxed health system?

[PermanentMarker]

Im astonished that the main parties have all decided an 18% lower band rate is a good idea. Surely, with the housing market dropping off and hints that stamp duty might be dropped they'll need to have a reliable source of income for the exchequer.

Id happily pay 22% / 43% if I thought that any time I go to hospital I might NOT contract MRSA or have to spend 24 hours on a chair waiting to see a doctor.

Seems very bizarre and Im surprised FF followed FG/LAB with 18% - the electorate arent that stupid.

[Gael]

Personally I don't agree with the plans for income tax cuts either, but keeping taxes as they are will not necessarily make the health system any better. Government spending on health has quadrupled in this country in the last ten years, yet the system seems to actually be getting worse. Lack of money is not the problem. The problems are ones of structural reform and lack of overall planning.

[Proinsias]

Income tax cuts, in general, help stimulate spending, which helps generate jobs. Which is usually a good thing. It also makes the country more attractive to potential employers, which is also a good thing.

I agree with Gael, the problems in the Irish health system are not related to money, the Irish government makes a healthy surplus at the moment.

In fact, one of the big problems in Ireland is the lack of reasonably priced construction labour. It means that if the government order construction projects at the moment, they have to pay way over the normal odds to get the work done...

[jungle]

Income tax cuts, in general, help stimulate spending, which helps generate jobs. Which is usually a good thing. It also makes the country more attractive to potential employers, which is also a good thing.

However, in the short-term, we have an oversupply of money in the Irish economy and that is fuelling inflation. The money would be better spent on allieviating infrastructural bottlenecks or simply reducing VAT to cool inflation.

On the subject of health

I agree that the problems of the health service are as much infrastructural as financial. There is an undersupply of doctors. There is an over-reliance on GPs who have a practice at home, when they would be better grouped into clinics with good facilities.

And that's just for starters...

[Hang_Sandwich]

they are idiots cutting the lower rate offers no incentives - they should cut the higher rate or set up a new lower rate for overtime pay thus incouraging people to do more overtime - which increases productivity (work versus price per hour increases as elect office space etc etc is roughly same if you work 8 hours or 12.)

fools increase productivity and the country will be seen a more compeditive in comparison to other - a perfect chance squandered - at a time when competitiveness is key