Some Budget measures announced in the Dáil yesterday came into effect at midnight. Yesterday evening, TDs voted to reduce the VAT rate on the sale of completed apartments to 9% from 13.5%. Also from midnight, around two-and-a-half cent has been added to the cost of a litre of petrol and diesel, while tobacco products have […]
There will be no one-off energy credits next year while increases in carbon tax will add around 2.5c to the cost of a litre of motor fuels from tomorrow. Between April 2022 and February 2025, Irish households received nine credits to their electricity bills, worth €1,500 and costing the State almost €3bn. However, as expected, […]
A total of €2.3bn has been allocated to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for 2026. Aside from the €85m in additional funding for bovine TB eradication, there will be a €20m increase in spending on the ACRES scheme, with funding to reach €280m in 2026. The scheme supports over 53,000 farmers in […]
The Government has described Budget 2026 as “sensible” and one which will “protect jobs and protect growth” in Ireland given an uncertain global economy. But some Opposition members have described it as “very disappointing”, with “ordinary people left in the cold” given a lack of a distinct cost-of-living package and no changes to personal income […]
A record level of total funding of €27.4bn will be allocated to the Department of Health for 2026. The overall health budget next year will be over €27.3bn, which includes current and capital spending. It represents an increase of €1.5bn or 6.2%. Day to day spending will be over €25.7bn – an increase of 5% […]
Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers has announced an increase in the standard capitation rates paid to all schools. This will include, on a per pupil basis, €50 for primary and special schools (from €224 to €274), and €20 for post-primary schools (from €386 to €406). In addition, Mr Chambers said the Department’s €1.6bn capital […]
Minister Jack Chambers today has confirmed that he is allocating €1.5 billion to the Department of Culture, communications and sport. This will “build on the progress we have made,” he said. The minister announced that in terms of the Arts, the government is committing to deliver a “successor scheme” to the basic income scheme for […]
The Government has announced a weekly increase of €10 per person in a range of social protection payments from 2026, including: the State pension, disability allowance, carer’s allowance, jobseeker’s allowance and one-parent family payment. A Christmas bonus of a double payment for recipients of long-term social welfare schemes will be paid again this year. The […]
The duty on a pack of 20 cigarettes will be increased by 50c as part of Budget 2026. Excise duty on other tobacco products will be raised on a pro-rata basis, Minister for Finance Pascal Donohoe told the Dáil. Smokers’ group Forest noted that the latest tax hike will push the cost of a pack […]
Carbon tax is to be increased to €71 per tonne of CO2 emitted and will be applied to auto fuels with effect from tomorrow, and to all other fuels from 1 May 2026. The Government said the additional revenue arising from the carbon tax increase is estimated at €121m in 2026, and the full-year additional […]
