It’s very positive for people and small businesses

JANET and John Dowling have three children and both work in a small family business – John as operations manager and Janet as director, along with her sister.

Between them they earn €70,000 but Janet had to make a 40 per cent cut in her pay to keep the business alive when the recession hit.

‘ Personally I think it’s a very positive budget. The Government generally are l ess anxious and nervous about the future of the economy so I think this will have a knock-on effect on people, there will be a few bob in people’s pockets and that means there will be more circulation of money and that’s always good for business.

‘When people see that the national debt has reduced they will be less fearful of taxes in the future so it will give them encouragement to spend. Employment is increasing so there will be more disposable income and that’s where it’s ideal for small businesses like ourselves. We work mostly in repairs and renewals and people might have that extra €500 to do something nice in their house and that will help small businesses.’

She said the cut in the commercial rates on vans to a maximum of €900 will help save her business: ‘We have three vans on the road so little things like that will help a lot. The fact that they’re putting more money in to social housing will also help because it will have a knock-on effect, small builders who come in to us will be getting more work and we in turn, please God, will have more work.’

What’s important to Mrs Dowling is that the country’s economy continues to improve so that everybody in Capital Glass can see a revival of their fortunes. ‘As company directors my sister and I had to take a 40 per cent cut in salary and we haven’t reinstated that. Everybody took a cut in their wages.’

With two of her children aged 11 and 8, the extension of free GP care to all children under the age of 12 is very welcome, Mrs Dowling said. But she said she’d like to hear the full details: ‘That’s great but I would like to see them increase the benefits when it comes to speech therapy and other therapies because it’s so badly needed. I spent thousands on speech therapy for my son when he was younger and there wasn’t enough resources there for that.’

After the Budget, the Dowlings will be €3,000 better off.