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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 30 Nov 2000

Vol. 527 No. 2

Written Answers. - Budget 2000.

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

19 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Finance if he has satisfied himself that Budget 2000 was adequately poverty-proofed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24933/00]

As stated in my reply on Thursday, 26 October to the Question No. 64, the budget 2000 booklet contains distribution tables that show the impact of changes in the budget in respect of income tax, the health levy and PRSI – taking account of child benefit and family income supplement – for a number of household categories by income. In addition my Department is a licensed user of the Economic and Social Research Institute's SWITCH model, which shows the combined impact on the tax and social welfare changes per income decile, and has had access to the output of the model. The SWITCH model, which is a technical aid that can be used to assist with poverty proofing exercises, uses a nationally representative sample of households to analyse the distribution of budgetary changes in tax and social welfare. Having regard to these outputs I am satisfied that the impact of the budget 2000 measures was adequately assessed.

The Deputy will appreciate that, in relation to expenditure measures, the responsibility for poverty proofing lies with the spending Department.

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