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PR’s of the Week
Every week, we post the best covered stories that were sent through MediaHQ’s press release distribution tool. Last week we saw over 300 press releases being sent out about Budget 2023 - but the top stories came from Fórsa Trade Union and the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI).
1) Forsa Trade Union
Title: Budget 2023: Childcare provision warrants a more radical approach – Fórsa
Author: Niall Shanahan, Communications Officer
Email delivery rate: 98.5%
Time of release: 14:33 on 27/09/2022
Coverage examples:
Press release content:
"Budget 2023: Childcare provision warrants a more radical approach – Fórsa
For immediate release, Tuesday 27th September 2022
Ireland's largest public service trade union, Fórsa, has said the future of the Irish workplace is being shaped by how working families with young children are currently forced to weigh the cost of childcare against entering or returning to the workplace.
The union's general secretary and president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) Kevin Callinan said measures announced in today's Budget, to reduce childcare costs by 25%, will help many families, but he said many families would still be left with “near impossible” choices about the offset of childcare costs against work.
He said childcare warrants a more radical approach than what was announced today and demands a permanent and radical solution to be truly transformative, such as a fully publicly funded universal system.
"While the broader package of cost-of-living measures is welcome, reflecting the efforts of unions to impress upon the Government the need for such measures, childcare needs more than a temporary crisis intervention.
“The Government will argue that in such exceptional times it simply isn't possible to tackle the demand for a comprehensive State-funded system of childcare.
“There is, however, a logic to being both ambitious and radical when it comes to solving a problem which the State has lagged on for several decades.
“There is a need for a transformative solution, such as a fully publicly funded universal system. This approach would be on a par with the implementation of free secondary education from 1968, a measure that had a transformative effect on Irish society and the economy.
“In 2022, that scale of ambition needs to apply to childcare for working families.
“Failure to tackle childcare comprehensively means a significant block remains to many parents, usually mothers, hoping to enter the workforce or to return to work after having children,” he said.
ENDS"
2) The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI)
Title: BUDGET 2023 NO VRT INCREASE AND CONTINUATION OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE GRANT
Author: Teresa Noone, Communications Director
Email delivery rate: 98.5%
Time of release: 17:02 on 27/09/2022
Coverage examples:
Press release content:
"27. 09. 2022
BUDGET 2023 NO VRT INCREASE AND CONTINUATION OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE GRANT
Budget implications for the Motor Industry
Budget 2023, announced this afternoon by Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath contains some measures specific to motoring:
VRT
- No VRT changes for cars or commercial vehicles
VAT and Excise Extensions
- Extending the current excise reduction of 21 cent per litre in respect of petrol, 16 cent per litre in respect of diesel and 5.4 cent per litre in respect of Marked Gas Oil (MGO), and the 9 per cent VAT rate for electricity and gas until 28 February 2023.
Carbon Tax
- The rate per tonne of carbon dioxide emitted for petrol and diesel will go up from €41 to €48.50 from 12 October as per the trajectory set out in the Finance Act 2020. This will mean that there will be an increase of just over two cent VAT inclusive per litre of petrol and diesel.
- Recognising the sharp cost of living challenges currently being faced by society, so the government is therefore proposing to offset this carbon tax increase with a reduction to zero of the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) levy.
- The NORA levy which is collected at a rate of 2 cent per litre (VAT exclusive) will help offset the carbon tax increase which means that the price at the pump will not go up as a result of taxes or levies.
Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme
- To assist businesses with their energy cost over the winter months.
Carbon Reduction Programmes
€110m is being provided towards making the switch to electric vehicles. Specifically grant support is being provided for the:
- Continuation of the purchase grant scheme for electric passenger cars, with a gradual reduction in the grant from July 2023
- Continuation and expansion of the home charging infrastructure scheme to include multi-unit dwellings
- Continuation of a grant scheme for taxi and hackney drivers with a gradual reduction in the grant from July 2023
- Continuation of an alternatively fuelled heavy goods vehicles purchase grant scheme
- Continuation of the Low Emission Vehicle Toll Incentive Scheme
- Reviewing the scheme for public point charging
- Delivering a new Shared Island Scheme for destination charging at sports clubs
- Funding research to support the further decarbonisation of transport in Ireland
Commenting on Budget 2023, SIMI Director General Brian Cooke:
“SIMI is pleased that the Government listened to the Industry and did not increase VRT in Budget 2023. In addition, the extension of the EV car SEAI grant scheme for the first half of next year will bring more potential buyers into the Electric Vehicle project, although the signal that this grant will be reduced from July is a concern. We hope the Government can re-consider this closer to the time, as any reduction could undermine sales in what is still the early stages of the EV project.
SIMI also welcomes the announcement of the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme for employers which we hope will mitigate against rising energy costs and help to protect employment.”
Ends"
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