IRELAND’S youngest Finance Minister in over 100 years was cheered on in the Dail by his proud mam and dad today as he unveiled a giveaway family-focused Budget.
Families are the big winners in the €10.5 billion bonanza that will see a couple with two kids pocket an extra €2,100 in tax cuts and bonus payments.
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With the State coffers overflowing with a €24 billion surplus, boosted by the €14 billion Apple tax cash, Minister Chambers splashed the cash to help people with the cost of living in the run up to Xmas.
Major measures announced by the Fianna Fail TD include:
The tax changes mean that a worker on around €50,000 a year will keep an extra €800 next year.
And for a family with two kids, with both parents working, all these measures combined will be worth more than €2,100.
This is before families benefit from measures to reduce the cost of sending children to school, with the free books scheme extended to all ages, including 5th and 6th Year in secondary school.
Junior Cert and Leaving Cert exam fees — which cost more than €100 per student — will also be waived again next year.
In even more good news, the free hot school meals programme will be expanded to every primary school in the country.
School transport fees will also be kept frozen at the current lower rate and all kids under the age of nine will get free public transport.
And a “baby boost” payment of €420 for newborns was also announced to help parents with the cost of welcoming an infant.
Speaking to The Irish Sun, Minister Chambers said families, carers and workers were central to his plans when he was drawing up Budget 2025.
He said: “Many families face a pretty high tax burden when they are working and that’s why the progressive and fair nature of how we developed the income tax changes was really to help workers and families.
“Complimenting that, the cost of living measures are still important with high prices.
“And that’s why double benefits in the context of child benefit and other supports through the winter period, like the energy credit, will make a real different to cushion the high prices that we know still exist for many families.
BUDGET 2025 MEASURES – WHAT DOES IT DO FOR YOU?
ONE-OFF PAYMENTS:
- €250 electricity credits – 2 x €125 with one paid in 2024 and one in 2025
- Double week for all long-term weekly social welfare recipients in October
- €300 Fuel Allowance lump sum in November
- €200 Living Alone Allowance lump sum this winter
- Double month of Child Benefit in November AND December
- €400 Working Family Payment lump sum this winter
- €100 Qualified Child Increment lump sum this winter
- Social welfare Christmas bonus in first week of December
- €400 lump sum to selected welfare categories this winter
- Double payment of Foster Care Allowance in December
TAX MEASURES:
- €125 Increase in the Main Tax Credits
- €2,000 Increase in the Standard Rate Cut-off Point
- €150 Increase in the Home Carer Tax Credit
- €150 Increase in the Single Child Carer Credit
- €300 Increase in the Incapacitated Child Tax Credit
- €300 Increase in the Blind person Credit
- Reduction in the four per cent USC rate to three per cent
- Increase in the Rent Tax Credit from €750 to €1,000
- Increase in the Excise Duty and VAT on a pack of cigarettes by €1 – bringing price to €18.05
- VAT on Heat Pumps decreased to nine per cent
- Sea-going Naval Personnel Tax credit extension
“I think with a strong economy we have the ability to support people with these cost of living measures and that’s what I sought to do.”
Chambers, 33, replaced Michael McGrath as the Finance Minister earlier this year and became the youngest person to take up the post since Michael Collins in 1919.
The Dublin West deputy — a qualified doctor — was applauded by his proud parents Frank and Barbara and brothers Neil and Hugh as he presented his first Budget to the Dail today.
And Minister Chambers recalled the famous words of a Kerry GAA legend as he said he was putting forward a Budget of hope for the future of the country.
GAA AND RTE ICON
He said: “On the same day it was announced I was to be appointed Minister for Finance this country lost one of the finest people, and undoubtedly the best commentator, we ever produced.
“Micheal O Muircheartaigh, a legend in our country, always had such a way with words and his knowledge of GAA was unsurpassed. He was so knowledgeable in other ways too.
“I was reading through some of his memorable quotes which illustrated his superb command of language and his wisdom.
“Reflecting on his advice for young people on his 90th birthday, he said: ‘Always look forward to things. Look forward with hope. Hope is the greatest thing of all.’
‘THIS BUDGET IS ABOUT THE FUTURE’
“As elected representatives I believe it is our responsibility and duty to foster a real sense of hope for the future, to inspire positivity, build a better State and demonstrate confidence about the possibilities ahead. This Budget is about the future.”
The Minister also told the Dail the Budget is “about ensuring that the children born today in Ireland and every day from here on can live prosperous and fulfilled lives”.
He added: “We want our country to be an attractive place to live in, work in, raise a family and create jobs and opportunity — a foundation of real progress for the future.”
But the spending spree did not stop with families, as the Government used a €2.2billion cost of living package to help carers and pensioners through the winter.
Fury at no kid spinal ops cash
by Adam Higgins
THE Government has been blasted for doing nothing in Budget 2025 to address long waiting lists for kids in need of spinal surgery.
In his response speech to today’s announcement, Sinn Fein’s Pearse Doherty told how another mum has gone public online in recent days to tell about her son’s op delays hell.
And he slammed the Government for having a €24billion surplus but doing nothing to tackle this issue.
He said: “What did the Budget do for them? It gave them no more hope for these children than they had yesterday.
“This Government has all the financial resources, but completely fails to deliver on basic services.”
Probed on the criticism, Finance Minister Jack Chambers admitted kids are waiting too long for ops. But he said Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is trying to address this.
He added: “Minister Donnelly has taken a really hands on approach to this with the HSE on trying to increase the capacity within our paediatric hospitals.”
The Irish Sun’s Kids Can’t Wait campaign is demanding action from the Government on the issue.
This includes a €12 increase for all weekly welfare payments, along with a Halloween double payment in October on top of the traditional Christmas bonus payment.
Six key groups will also benefit from one-off payments, including €400 next month for carers, people in receipt of the disability allowance and those who receive the working family payment.
People who receive the fuel allowance will also land a €300 one-off bonus, those on the living alone allowance will get €200 and people on the child support grant will get an extra €100.
Bumper spending in Budget 2025 will also be used to fund a major recruitment campaign, including the hiring of 1,000 more gardai, 1,600 more special needs assistants and 400 more soldiers.
NEW TAX ON VAPES
Meanwhile, the price of cigarettes will rise by €1, with the average box of 20 now €18.05.
And a new tax has been slapped on vapes which will see 50 cent per millilitre added to the price. But this won’t be introduced until the middle of next year.
Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe then spoke for almost an hour as he listed out the series of giveaways the Government was putting in place with our cash.
In what will be the final Budget of the coalition, the Fine Gael TD defended the enormous spending as he highlighted that several billion euro from bumper tax returns is also being saved in long term accounts for the future.
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He said: “We live in a volatile world — a world in which the pace of change is accelerating and the level of complexity is building, but the scale of opportunity is growing.
“This is why we must run budget surpluses. The is why we must set aside some of our country’s money for the future.
“This is why we must invest our recent gains in the Ireland of tomorrow. Not spending everything today, no matter how tempting.”
The prudent line of his speech would later be heckled by Sinn Fein, as one TD roared: “You forgot your bike shed” — a reference to the enormous €335,000 spend on the Leinster House cycle canopy.
‘STATE IS SPENDING YOUR MONEY WELL’
And asked about concerns further embarrassing State overspends will happen next year as the Budget is put into action, Minister Donohoe told The Irish Sun: “Look at the homes the State is building directly through local authorities across the length and breathe of the country.
“These are good homes that are being built affordably. Look at the new libraries that we are opening.
“If you live in a town or village in this country and you now have access to the national broadband plan that is changing where you live and where you work. They are really good examples of where the State is spending your money well.
“But of course I accept when it comes to issues like the bike shed and the National Children’s Hospital, they are a cause of real annoyance that we are learning lessons from.
“But over all the country’s money is being used well.”
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