Posted by Schooldays Newshound, on 13/10/2015. 
Tags: Parenting
Here is a summary of some of the main Budget 2016 points released today with particular relevance to families:
Tax & USCEntry point to the USC will rise from €12,012 to €13,000
The three lower USC rates are to fall - the 1.5 per cent rate will be cut to 1 per cent, 3.5 per cent to 3 per cent, and the 7 per cent rate will fall to 5.5 per cent on income between €18,688 and €70,044.
Threshold for family income supplement will be widened to allow more families avail of the weekly tax-free payment available to employees with children.
Minimum wage to rise to €9.15 per hour from 1st January next
Childcare
Childcare package will include a second year of free pre-school care for every child aged between three and five.
Child benefit will rise €5 to €140 from January
Two weeks paid paternity leave will be introduced.
Free GP Care will be extended to all children under 12 (subject to negotiations)
15 million allocated to fund children with disabilities in early childhood settings
Education (for full outline on education in Budget 2016 click here)
2,260 additional teaching posts to be provided in 2016, including 600 new resource teachers.
Pupil teacher ratio will go from 28:1 to 27:1 at primary and from 19:1 to 18.7:1 at second level.
DO you agree with Budget 2016? How does it effect you? Please leave a comment.
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Recent Comments
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jjuniors
(16-10-2015 11:02)
As a childminder who minds 3 children my costs will actually increase as I will have the added travel expense of dropping and collecting a child from the age of 3 to playschool, possibly for 2 years before they start school. So from my point of view I would not be reducing my childminding fee - if anything, increasing it. I really hope it doesn't discourage parents from using a childminder which as a childcare option is so much better developmentally for small children than a creche ie small numbers of mixed ages and security and stability of one carer in a real home giving real life experiences. Toddlers are not built for the competition that is inevitable in creche toddler rooms - they are absolutely right in thinking they are special little people who need and demand attention. Let them have this with someone who has the time to care for them - a childminder. If the Government really want to help parents and aid the healthy development of children - childminding is where they should focus their attention and money - not the large creches who are lapping up grants and creating glossy brochures to entice innocent new parents while paying their young and stressed staff a pittance.
angiebaby1234
(13-10-2015 19:48)
while its great that there is a second free preschool year im wondering will it be the end of childminders with children starting at 3 years,what do people think?
angiebaby1234
(14-10-2015 13:25)
yeah i think it will be ok as if parents decide to leave them in for the full day it will cost more anyway.i agree that a young 3 year old would not be able for 5 mornings unless they were used to the creche anyway,will see how it goes
minderofchild
(14-10-2015 07:31)
Sept 2016 k acorn
Angie, I currently pick up two kids after ecce hours...where I am it's always an issue re payments while child in ecce...messier it will get...registered childminders discussing more part timers in and out during the day, most are job sharing with granny but now it will be job sharing with ecce venues at a much younger age, ...my experience of my own n cmed kids at the young age not able for paid playschool hours so one or two days a week enough...my kids rarely went five days at the four to ecce never mind at three,,,
Im totally disappointed in second yr as way they reformed childcare..as a saving tool for parents it's poor.. Some parents commented it's more expensive in a creche for a day child to attend ecce in different room as they now need wrap around care which costs more...the stay at home mum's and services who have spaces seem to be only ones happy with second year...
minderofchild
(16-10-2015 12:55)
Julie, I so agree...they're one comment like yours on childminding Ireland fb page...iv given up commenting as waste of my time and it's so frustrating as answers back are they are parttimers and can only do so much..they replied to that one comment they will start or are lobbying for registered childminders, joke I say..the papers are full everyday of articles from every point view except registered childminders..I can no longer justify my membership and will follow others who have jumped ship to apc and Eci, read their fb pages, discussion galore, plan of actions etc.
Majority of childminders will now only start taking on babies but I ensure iv only one baby at any one time for reasons youv pointed out...im at a crossroads as I simply can't sustain all these schoolruns, never mind when weather turns...
k alcorn
(13-10-2015 20:54)
When does 2nd free pre school start
SchoolDays
(13-10-2015 17:30)
ASTI Statement re budget 13/10/15
Budget 2016: New teachers welcome,
but more needs to be done
Budget 2016 is a missed opportunity to undo the serious damage done to second-level schools in previous budgets including the loss of approximately 1,700 second-level teachers.
We welcome the decision to create up to 500 additional teaching posts at second-level, said ASTI President Mire G. N Chiarba. However, this is insufficient given the loss of approximately 1,700 teaching posts since 2009.
There have been more than 20 separate education cuts implemented since 2009. Schools are at breaking point. We see Budget 2016 as just the beginning of the reversal of these cuts, said the ASTI President.
ASTI General Secretary Pat King said a well-signalled increase in student numbers in recent years means all schools are doing much more with far less resources. In the past few years, the number of young people entering second-level schools has increased significantly and this trend is set to continue for the years ahead. Yet during this time, as a direct result of cuts to teacher numbers, class sizes increased dramatically. At second-level we have the sixth worst pupil-teacher ratio of 31 OECD countries. Much more needs to be done and I welcome todays acknowledgement by the Minister that additional investment is needed to bring the education system up to 21st century standards.
The ASTI represents 18,000 second-level teachers.
End