Any review of employers' PRSI should only take place in the context of increased statutory redundancy payments, according to the MSF trade union.

The union's assistant national secretary, Mr Jerry Shanahan, said it "would totally" oppose the lifting of the ceiling on employers' PRSI. He said statutory redundancy payments were only half the UK rate.

Mr Shanahan made his comments as details of a survey of senior managers were released showing that lifting the ceiling on employers' PRSI contributions would be the most popular Budget announcement among respondents.

Corporation tax and the training levy for employers should be increased in the Budget, said Mr Shanahan. "MSF considers that the exceptionally low level of corporation tax in Ireland compared with the rest of the EU is even less defensible now than it was previously."

Mr Shanahan proposed a standardised rate of 15 per cent, as against the Government's target of 12.5 per cent, for corporation tax. He proposed that the training fund element of employers' PRSI be increased from 0.7 per cent to 1 per cent. On personal taxation he wanted to see the full implementation of individualisation.

The reintroduction of a ceiling on employers' PRSI would be the most popular Budget change among senior managers, according to a Deloitte & Touche poll.

When asked to select what they would most like to see from a list of 11 suggested measures, 28 per cent of 270 senior managers selected the reimposition of the employers' PRSI ceiling.

Another 18 per cent selected the reduction of the overall rate of employers' PRSI, making it the second most popular choice.