Budget Main points
GDP: Forecast to decline by over 1.5pc
MINISTERS' PAY: Ministers to surrender 10pc of salaries
STATE PENSION: State Pension will be increased by €7 per week for all pensioners
EDUCATION: Spending on education to increase by 2.7pc to €8.7bn
EDUCATION: €581m will be allocated to the School Building Programme in 2009
HEALTH: Spending on health to increase by 2.1pc
HEALTH: Automatic entitlement to over-70s' medical card to be abolished
HSE: Targeted voluntary early retirement scheme to be introduced for the HSE
WATER SERVICE: The Water Service will receive an additional €90m investment in 2009
ENERGY: €20m will be allocated to home energy saving in 2009
ENERGY: Duration of the Fuel Allowance to be increased by two weeks from next April
ENERGY: The Fuel Allowance payment to increase from €18 to €20 per week with effect from 1 January
VAT: Standard rate of VAT to increase by 0.5pc to 21.5pc
VAT: Rise of 50 cents on pack of 20 cigarettes
VAT: Rise of 50 cents on bottle of wine
VAT: Rise of 8 cents on 1 litre of petrol
STAMP DUTY: Top rate of stamp duty on commercial property reduced from 9pc to 6pc
HOUSING: €1.65bn allocated for house building programmes
SOCIAL WELFARE: Spending on social welfare to increase 8.4pc to €19.6bn
SOCIAL WELFARE: Child benefit for 18-year-olds to be cut by 50pc from 1 January and will cease 1 January 2010
SOCIAL WELFARE: Early childcare benefit to cease at five and a half instead of six
DIRT: Rate of DIRT to be increased to 23% on ordinary deposit accounts
INCOME TAX: 1pc increase on all incomes up to €1,925 per week
INCOME TAX: 2pc increase on remaining income over €1,925 per week
INCOME TAX: 2pc increase on remaining income over €1,925 per week
VRT: Motor tax rates up by 4% for below 2.5 litres and for CO2 bands A to D
VRT: Rates up by 5% for cars over 2.5 litres and for CO2 bands E, F and G
