John Ellis

Your Money & You

John Ellis Some reservations about generous Budget

According to Minister Pascal O’Donohue this year’s Budget focused on helping families and businesses facing the cost-of-living crisis arising from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the continuing e ects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said “As one of the most open economies in the world, we bene t when things are going well internationally, but when they reverse, we are also one of the most exposed.”

According to Aviva’s economist Jim Power, other areas of concern are a very tight labour market, a serious problem in the provision of childcare and the ongoing escalation in the cost of housing for both renters and owner-occupiers.

Budget 2023 contained two distinct elements – a package of once-o measures to alleviate the cost-of living pressures and the normal increase in the various elements of expenditure and taxation which carry forward to future years.

Courtesy of Aviva here are some of the key elements.

A payment of €600 to o set rising electricity bills is set to be paid to every household. It will be paid in instalments, with one before Christmas and the other two in the new year.

Double child bene t payment in November and a once-o double week “Cost of Living Support” payment to social welfare recipients in October - this includes pensioners, carers, people on disability payments and jobseekers. An additional €500 for those receiving the Working Family will be in November with an additional €500 for Carer’s Support Grant recipients to be paid in November.

Once-o payment before Christmas of €200 to recipients of the Living Alone Allowance with a once-o payment of €500 to those who qualify for Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension and the Blind Pension being paid in November. e normal Christmas Bonus will be paid in early December for social welfare recipients with a €12 a week increase for every recipient of a social protection payment. Working Family Payment thresholds rise by €40 a week with Quali ed Child Increase for under 12s up to €42 a week and for over 12s to €50 a week.

Qualifying income threshold for the Fuel Allowance will increase (from January 1 next) from €120 to €200 above the relevant rate of the State Pension Contributory. For over 70s, the weekly Fuel Allowance means limit will be extended to €500 for single people, €1,000 for couples. Domiciliary Care Allowance rate rises by €20.50 to €330 a month and will be available to parents of babies who have to remain in hospital for six months. Top-up payment to participants on the Community Employment, TÚS and Rural Social Scheme rises by €5 to €25 a week.

On the income tax side an increase of €3,200 in the income tax standard rate cut-o point for all earners, from €36,800 to €40,000 for single individuals and from €45,800 to €49,000 for married couples / civil partners with one earner. With an increase of €75 in the Personal Tax Credit from €1,700 to €1,775 and an increase of €75 in the Employee Tax Credit from €1,700 to €1,775.

An increase of €75 in the Earned Income Credit from €1,700 to €1,775. An increase of €100 in the Home Carer Tax Credit from €1,600 to €1,700.

Help-to-Buy scheme will continue, at current rates until the end of 2024. Taxpayers paying rent on their principal private residence will receive a new rent tax credit valued at €500 per year from 2023 and may also be claimed in respect of rent paid in 2022. e amount landlords can claim in pre-letting expenses per premises is being doubled to €10,000 and reducing the period for which a premises must be vacant from twelve to six months. A new Vacant Homes Tax is being introduced for residential properties which are occupied for less than 30 days in a 12-month period. A 10% levy is being introduced on poured concrete and concrete blocks from April 2023 and is expected to raise €80m annually. It has been introduced to raise funds to address issues with mica.

Childcare funding will be provided to support a reduction of up to 25% in the weekly fee for those using the National Childcare Scheme - this should result in up to €175 a month savings for parents in 2023.

Small businesses can avail of a temporary Business Energy Support Scheme, once eligibility criteria are met, 40% of an organisation’s energy increases will be covered, subject to a monthly cap of €10,000 a month per business.

‘A serious problem in the provision of childcare ...

john@ellis nancial 086 8362622

Rafter family in concert at Freshford

e highpoint of Féile Lachtain 2022 occurs on Saturday, October 8, when the Rafter Family Concert takes place at St. Lachtain’s R.C. Church, Freshford at 8.00 p.m. e Rafter Family has performed extensively throughout the past decade since their debut to critical acclaim at the National Concert Hall, Dublin. All the family have excelled in their own eld. Maura studied under some of Europe’s most notable musicians such as Mabel Swainson and Maurizio Carnelli. She is a highly respected piano teacher with students winning at national level. Paddy studied under some of the world’s most respected singers and conductors including Carlo Gaifa and Massimiliano Bullo of La Scala in Milan. As well as singing with the ree Tenors, Paddy sang in La Scala. He and Maura met through music when Paddy sang one Christmas in St. Mary’s Cathedral where Maura was the organist. Together they set up the Rafter Family group and toured Ireland. ey established Kilkenny Academy of Music and taught a generation of young Kilkenny musicians and singers. Post-Covid, Maura started reecastles School of Music and is now catering for all local students and students from further a eld.

Maura and Paddy have four children who have all performed in the past with the family: Sean, a successful barrister, played clarinet; Isabelle, a multi award winning cellist and singer; Alexander, a much loved singer, guitarist and piano player who is one of the stars of the St. Lachtain’s Intermediate hurling team; and Patrick who is celebrated as one of Ireland’s most gifted and exciting violinists.

To get to this point in his career, Patrick has had a starstudded journey including debuts with some of the nest orchestras, such as Prague Philharmonia, performances alongside leading conductors including Semyon Bychkov and Marin Alsop. He has shared the stage with some of the world’s most acclaimed musicians such as Maxim Vengerov and Shlomo Mintz. A personal invitation to study under Vengerov led to rst prizes in international competitions which have been a catalyst to an international career. He is a top graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London and the International Menuhin Music Academy in Switzerland.

It is extremely gratifying at parish level that the main event of Féile Lachtain 2022 has a local family involved. On this occasion, Paddy and Maura will be joined by Alexander and virtuoso violinist Patrick. e concert promises to be a wonderful celebration of popular and light classical pieces and songs. is project is funded by the Kilkenny Creative Ireland Programme 2022 through Kilkenny Co. Council.

Tickets cost €25 and are on sale at O’Shea’s Newsagent, Freshford and online at Eventbrite under “Rafter Family Concert”.

e white haired boy

BY NED EGAN

Part 3

e moon helped the bombers, and they had no fear of RAF ghters: well the Luftwa e knew that these scarce machines were still being held rigidly in wait for planes trying to destroy air elds – which would be Hitler’s rst step towards an invasion. e weather might be lousy, but that man was completely unpredictable. ey’d invade at any time - if the RAF could be wiped out. So, the big German planes over Coventry had it reasonably easy.

It wasn’t a huge raid, more like some bombers having not much else to do, and the crews saying: “Ah, life’s a bore: might as well go bomb Coventry.” e ‘digs’ group had gone down into the cellar, as usual, with Steve telling ‘good ones’ to keep spirits up, and handing around a few tots of a vicious brew he’d brewed up with the aid of some potato and apple skins! e odd whine and ‘crump’ and bang of a falling and exploding bomb went on for hours, with no apparent danger at all. en – smash! A ‘big one’ whammed through the roof and all the oors and buried itself below the very corner of the cellar! But it didn’t go o !! at they were all quite shook up by this is no exaggeration! ey were well pleased to hear the Warden shortly, banging the coal chute lid and calling down: “ ey’ve nished now, I think, but best stay there for the All Clear. By the way, have you a bloke down there named ‘ e White Haired Boy?’ ere’s a strange fellow up the street wants to see him, right now. Said it’s urgent, and to ‘bring his friends.’ I wouldn’t bother if I were you”

At this, Steve gave a gasp of complete surprise. He then asked the others if any of them had been so nicknamed, but they hadn’t. So, he thought, it must be for me – remembering back to his childhood days. But it was impossible! e ‘Tan who had used those few words had died in front of him, back in Callan, all those years ago. And he’d never told anyone about it – a good story about a Black and Tan soldier just wouldn’t be believed. Same as a bad story about a priest ---

Now he got a sudden premonition, and started shouting “Out! Out! Out!” at his mates. ey thought he was gone mad! “No” he shouted, “I’ve never been more sane! Just this one time, do what I say – we’ll take ‘Lizzie’ with us! Hurry, Hurry!!” ey all moved fast then, in a wild scramble, and in a few minutes were out on the road. ere, he told the rest of the cellar dwellers that he’d once been called such a name – which, strictly speaking – was the truth. e Warden was amazed at the sudden emptying of the cellar, and told them they were all ‘bloody daft Irish buggers.’ But he pointed down the street, and said that outside the shop on the corner, they’d nd standing ‘a strange sorta cove.’ Steve immediately hustled his ‘ ock’ along in that direction, carrying the protesting Lizzie with them.

A few minutes later, and they were outside the corner-shop. ere was nobody there. e street was completely deserted. ey looked all round.

No one at all.

“Well, Steve” go Lizzie, “I just don’t know what all that ruddy fuss was ab-- ” – and then the whole area shook like an earthquake had decided to join in the war!

Everyone, including Lizzy, was rocked and bu eted about for several seconds.

“What the bloody hell was that?” cried all at the same time! But Steve knew - and he ran back towards the house, screaming, halfhysterical.

He knew exactly what had happened. e Warden – who’d thought them all daft - and who Steve had been panicking about - arrived back at Lizzy’s old address, at the same time.

An address. Only. Of a huge smoking hole in the ground.

It wasn’t his home any more. And it would never again be home to Lizzie..

“Delayed action bomb, big one” said the Warden. Yes, the one that tore down through the corner of the cellar. e Warden patted his shoulder. ey could hear the emergency vehicles starting to growl around the streets, looking to save the odd person. ey wouldn’t be bothering too much here. No point. e Warden then said: “lucky that geezer told me to give you a shout – you’d be a goner only for him. Who was he, anyway? Where is he now?”

“We didn’t nd him,Warden. A long story. Will you tell me what he looked like – how was he dressed?”

“Oh, he looked battered, actually looked like he’d been ‘in the wars’ a bit himself, face in a mess; I’d say he’d been roughly handled, didn’t look the best at all.. wearing a strange sort of uniform, oldfashioned looking, never saw the likes before - it was all ripped, bloodstains on it, too. at give you any idea? Do you think you might know him, recognise him from that?”

“Yes,” said Steve slowly, “I know who he was, alright.” From a great distance – from another time – a debt had been repaid. To e White Haired Boy.

Ned E

Disclaimer e opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily re ect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of e Kilkenny Observer.