After much speculation, Budget 2015 will be unveiled tomorrow in the Dáil at 2.30pm. Michael Noonan and Brendan Howlin will deliver what is believed to be a neutral budget after years of austerity budgets. 

However, there are issues that will undoubtedly still arise from Budget 2015 and the Government will most certainly come under fire on the floor following the speeches. 

Ahead of the unveiling of the Budget, the opposition, including Sinn Fein and Fianna Fáil, have released their alternative budgets.

Fianna Fáil

Fianna Fáil proposed a budget adjustment of €220m which should bring the deficit comfortably below 3% in 2015.

The mian focus of the measures were on building a more caring society and investing in critical frontline services for citizens. 

Speaking at the launch of the party’s proposals Spokesperson on Finance Michael McGrath commented: “After seven very difficult years in which tax rose and expenditure was reduced, the Irish people need a break from the relentless burden of austerity.  While the budget presented by the government may be fiscally neutral, it is unlikely to be socially balanced given their recent budgets. The hallmark of this government to date has been a series of regressive budgets. 

"It is important to remember that the Government are taking €300m from families through the introduction of water charges and there are further cuts to family incomes from the abolition of mortgage interest relief, restrictions on tax relief for medical insurance and changes to the one parent family payment.  Any budget day concessions must be seen in this context.”

Fianna Fáil’s key proposals included:

• Reduce pupil teacher ratio by one point at primary level and a reverse cuts to small rural schools
• Prioritise mental health and suicide prevention through new National Mental Health Authority
• Provide for 20,000 new discretionary medical cards 
• Target childcare supports for working families & long-term unemployed taking up employment
• Reduce threshold for the Drug Payment Scheme to €120 a month from €144
• Increase resource hours for special needs pupils
• Recruit 500 additional Gardaí

Fianna Fail Pre Budget Submission Final Draft

Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin, meanwhile, argued that they would abolish the Local Property Tax and water charges and includes a programme for investing in health, education and disability services.

Pearse Doherty TD, who launched the alternative budget, told An Phoblacht “repair communities, rebuild the economy and renew society”.

“Sinn Féin’s Alternative Budget – which is once again costed by the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure – shows how this year’s Budget could start to repair communities, rebuild the economy and renew society.

“The Budget is fiscally neutral which, as Finance Minister Noonan has pointed out, would bring Ireland under the targeted 3% deficit for 2015.

“Our priority in Budget 2015 is to reduce the tax burden on working families and low-income and middle-income households by scrapping the Property Tax and water charges."

The main points of their budget stated the party:

• Will reduce the tax burden on ordinary families
• Put €800 million back into the pockets of ordinary workers through the abolition of the property tax and by stopping water charges.
• Help stop forced emigration of our young people by restoring the Jobseekers payment for those under 26 over two years.
• Prioritise investment in health and education to make back to school more affordable and recruit an additional 1,000 nurses and midwives.
• Invest an additional €202.6 million in disability services and supports.
• Invest €1 billion from the Strategic investment Fund to build an additional 6,600 homes over the next 18 months and create 8,000 jobs.
• Reduce salaries and allowances of high earners in the public sector and Oireachtas. 

 For the full budget report, you can log on to the Sinn Fein website.

Stephen Donnelly

Independent TD for Wicklow and East Carlow, Stephen Donnelly, released his pre-budget submission, focusing on a "full suite of proposals that would close the deficit while investing in the future."

Donnelly stated on his website: "This budget seeks a balance between financial discipline and investment in three core areas – Community, Enterprise and Services. This, I believe, is how to start planning and building, not for the next election, but for the coming years and decades. All feedback on specific policies and/or the cumulative effect of the measures I’m proposing is, of course, hugely important and very welcome."

The main proposals of his budget were:

• There are still smart and progressive ways of raising revenue that won’t harm the recovery.
• Inefficiencies in public expenditure must be targeted to allow investment in important public services and protections.
• Many beneficial policies don't cost a cent and should be implemented.
• We MUST begin to invest in education and educators again, if we are to protect the future of this great country.

Donnelly's budget focused on ending double taxation for accidental landlords, affordable childcare options, reforming the examinership process and saving a billion on drugs by working with the NHS.

For Donnelly's full budget submission, you can log on to his website here.

People Before Profit

PBPA alternative budget calls for abolition of water and property taxes, lifting USC burden, reversal of unfair cuts & major public investment in social housing, services and infrastructure.

The party claimed that big business , the very wealthy and top earners must make greater tax contribution to fund meaningful recovery.

The main proposals of their budget were:

• Establish a minimum effective corporate tax rate of 12.5% on Total Profits – this will raise €3.5 billion
• Establish a new nominal rate of 15% - this will raise €500 million 
• Introduce the FTT to raise €320 million
• Establish four new tax bands on earning over €100,000 per year to raise €922 million
• Abolish the USC for those earning less than €30,000 - this will cost €950 million
• Establish an annual wealth tax of 2% on assets (excluding the family home or family farm) over €1 million to raise €1 billion
• Establish a national database on the distribution and ownership of financial and property assets
• Abolish the Local Property Tax
• Abolish the water tax

We asked these people on the streets of Dublin what they expect in the budget tomorrow: