Ireland's Four Year Recovery Plan

Today the Taoiseach Brian Cowan, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan and Green Party Leader John Gormley have unveiled a four year recovery plan.

Here are the main points:

• The government to budget for 6 Billion this coming year.
• Mimimum wage will be cut down to €7.65
• Third-level college fee's have been increased to €2,000
• social welfare cut by €2.8 billion primarily through cuts to unemployment benefits and child income supports.
•  There will be up to 25,000 jobs cut in the public service
• Teacher contracts will be reviewed
• Any new employee's into the public service will take a 10% pay cut
• Growth is projected to be 2.75% each year until 2010.
• An average property tax of €200 in each household starting in 2014
• Pension related tax relief to be decreased
• Increasing the age at which people qualify for the pension to 66 in 2014, 67 in 2021 and 68 in 2028. 
 

Protest in front of the government buildings

How do you feel about the plan? Will all our graduates be leaving the country for good?