O\u2019Callaghan said \u20ac3 \u201cwouldn\u2019t even buy you a cup of tea in a cafe\u201d.<\/p>\n
He noted that another pensioner \u201cgoes to bed at 8.30pm to stay warm\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a shameful indictment of this Government.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said there was a time when Fianna F\u00e1il had time for older people, but \u201cthose days are gone because pensioners have been bitterly betrayed\u201d.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Callaghan said pensioners should have been given the \u20ac15 increase his party recommended. <\/p>\n
The Taoiseach insisted Fianna F\u00e1il \u201cdoes have the back of pensioners and always had\u201d.<\/p>\n
He insisted the Coalition\u2019s commitment to increase the pension to \u20ac350 by the end of the Government\u2019s term would be fulfilled and said the \u20ac10 pension increase was above the rate of inflation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the second of five budgets that we will deliver,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The social protection budget had increased by \u20ac2 billion with a total budget of more than \u20ac31 billion \u201cand the bulk is on pensions and disability\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
Martin said they were extending the \u201ckeeping\u201d of a deceased person\u2019s pension from six to 10 weeks to help the bereaved partner and they were looking at an additional 10,000 single people potentially becoming beneficiaries of the fuel allowance.<\/p>\n
He claimed the Social Democrats\u2019 attitude \u201cis spend, spend, spend\u201d. <\/p>\n
T\u00e1naiste defends vape fluid tax hike, saying they are \u2018revenge of the tobacco industry\u2019![\"Photograph:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/EQCSARGZOGLGYCVFWO2ZFGTYFI.jpg\")
Photograph: Jacob King\/PA Wire <\/p>\n
Barry phones in and criticises the Government\u2019s decision to increase the excise duty on vape fluid.<\/p>\n
Noting it is the second increase, he says the price has more than doubled.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are you disincentivising adults from giving up smoking?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n
Harris says he believes vapes are the \u201crevenge of the tobacco industry\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really worried that we\u2019re going to look back in a period of time and wonder did we do enough to make sure the next generation don\u2019t find themselves hooked on vaping just like my parents\u2019 generation found themselves hooked on cigarettes,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
The T\u00e1naiste says the HSE \u201cabsolutely does not recommend vapes\u201d for those who wish to stop smoking, and instead recommends nicotine patches, gum, lozenges and patches.<\/p>\n
He consulted the Department of Health on the issue, he says, adding there is a public health concern around vapes.<\/p>\n
He says the Government \u201chas to raise revenue\u201d, noting that a packet of cigarettes has also been increased by \u20ac1. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re particularly concerned about vape usage for our young people,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
In response, Barry seeks to quote from a medical journal publication on the topic, but is cut off as there is not enough time.<\/p>\n
Another caller, Megan, says the \u20ac550 monthly childcare fee cap is welcome, but it will not come into effect until September 2027 and will only apply to providers in the National Childcare Scheme.<\/p>\n
She and her wife have a son aged just over six months, and they have been unable to get a place in such a creche as he is not eligible yet due to his age. Providers are also \u201cheavily oversubscribed\u201d, she says.<\/p>\n
She estimates they will be paying \u20ac1,450 per month for a childminder once they are both back at work full time.<\/p>\n
She asks what the Government will do for families in her situation.<\/p>\n
Harris says the increase to the childminder benefit was an effort to make it more attractive to be a childminder. Under the change, childminders will be able to earn \u20ac20,000 before paying tax.<\/p>\n
The cap on the number of children someone can mind has also been removed. \u201cThe aim of this is to improve supply,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n
Chambers adds that work was ongoing on wider reforms around \u201cmaking sure those outside of the National Childcare Scheme are included within it\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u2018A joke\u2019: Pensioner criticises \u20ac3 increase to living alone allowance![\"Minister](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IVU6HL6PBNFOZFIEVNMZ53LXAA.JPG\")
Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers with T\u00e1naiste & Minister for Finance Simon Harris ahead of their speeches on Tuesday.
\nPhotograph Nick Bradshaw \/ The Irish Times <\/p>\n
T\u00e1naiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers have been taking live questions on RT\u00c9 Radio\u2019s Today with David McCullagh from those affected by the budget.<\/p>\n
One 80-year-old caller, Noel, is critical of successive governments, saying he and his wife \u201cworked all our lives, paid our taxes\u201d.<\/p>\n
Eight years ago, his wife died, he says, adding: \u201cOur government\u2019s reaction was to half my household income,\u201d going down to \u20ac243 at the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could survive on that for a week or two but for it to be a permanent, it\u2019s not just cruel, it\u2019s just not fair.\u201d<\/p>\n
Told by McCullagh of the increase of \u20ac3 to the living alone allowance, Noel responds: \u201cPlease don\u2019t go there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat in itself is a joke. If my lovely wife had survived, she would be receiving \u20ac330 a week so the Government are saving that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He adds he would love to \u201cmeet the genius\u201d behind the \u20ac3 increase.<\/p>\n
Chambers acknowledges many like Noel are under \u201csignificant pressure\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver a two or three year period, we didn\u2019t see an increase in the living alone allowance and we have increased it at a similar level to what we increased it three or four years ago,\u201d he says, adding that it represents a 14 per cent increase.<\/p>\n
\u201cI accept, if you look at it in isolation in a single week, it obviously isn\u2019t what many people would expect,\u201d he says, adding however that the full year value will be \u20ac1,300 in 2027.<\/p>\n
It will also coincide with increases in core welfare rates, including the pension, alongside an increase to the fuel allowance.<\/p>\n
Noel tells Chambers not to mention the increase in the fuel allowance, saying it is not an increase.<\/p>\n
Noting that the term has effectively been reduced after an extension last year, Noel says the Government \u201cactually reduced the fuel allowance by \u20ac32\u201d.<\/p>\n
Chambers says that was an \u201cexceptional\u201d extension, adding that the \u20ac5 increase is permanent.<\/p>\n
Budget struck a \u2018balance\u2019, McEntee says in response to Ifac criticism![\"Minister](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/BI2PRO2RMBAENLYKT65U3YITGA.JPG\")
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee with party colleagues handing out literature explaining the budget at Stephens Green in Dublin. Photograph: Bryan O\u2019Brien \/ The Irish Times <\/p>\n
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee has responded to criticism by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (Ifac) of overspending, and over-reliance on corporation tax, by saying the budget has got the balance right, Political Correspondent Harry McGee reports.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are saying we\u2019ve spent too much. There\u2019s people who said we haven\u2019t spent enough. So I think what we try to do is get a balance here,\u201d said McEntee.<\/p>\n
She said that spending growth would be maintained at 6 per cent. <\/p>\n
Arguing that the spending was an investment in people\u2019s futures, she said it was being put into service, into retrofitting homes, investing in SMEs, and also supports for people feeling the impact of energy price hikes.<\/p>\n
The Fine Gael Minister was one of a large number of Fine Gael TDs and Ministers who handed out the party\u2019s pamphlet on Budget 2027 to Luas commuters at Stephen\u2019s Green on Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n
![\"Photograph:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/6SQ5BZYTTNCOTL323XAFPAYEEM.JPG\")
Photograph: Bryan O\u2019Brien \/ The Irish Times <\/p>\n
Pressed about the criticism by Ifac she said the Government had done its own figures as well, and the teams in the two Government departments responsible for the budget had set out a trajectory that she said was manageable.<\/p>\n
McEntee said the Government was putting an additional \u20ac1 billion into the two fiscal buffer funds, on top of the planned \u20ac5 billion for 2027.<\/p>\n
Asked if Minister for Culture Patrick O\u2019Donovan was the biggest loser of the budget, given that the \u20ac100 culture card did not materialise, McEntee said every department had seen an increase.<\/p>\n
[\u00a0It takes a giveaway budget of \u20ac8.5bn to not annoy anyone \u2013 except Patrick O\u2019DonovanOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n She also said Chambers was very clear yesterday when saying that the card project, which is part of the programme for government, is still being worked on.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t achieved in this budget but we have three more budgets,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Asked if O\u2019Donovan was naive in flagging it in advance, she said the commitment from Government was there and that all Ministers wanted to achieve as much as they could in their own departments.<\/p>\n \u2018We\u2019re trying to protect people\u2019: Taoiseach defends budget Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin has defended Budget 2027, saying the Government was trying to protect people \u201cas best we can in the midst of an international crisis\u201d, Vivienne Clarke reports.<\/p>\n Martin said the budget came amid \u201cmajor international global uncertainty\u201d \u2013 oil and energy crises \u2013 which is fuelling inflation.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to protect people as best we can in the midst of that international crisis by tax measures for the workers, by a really strong focus on disability over the last two years, and in terms of the childcare costs on families, and reducing those significantly.<\/p>\n \u201cThose three pillars were probably the major beneficiaries of the budget,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Martin said the \u201cfundamental driver\u201d for putting money aside was demographics, noting Ireland will have \u201cfar more older people\u201d in the future, who will be more dependent on social protection and health.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will have to provide for that into the future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Taoiseach acknowledged there needed to be a change in focus in the taxation framework, in the composition of revenue coming into the exchequer.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to change focus in our taxation framework to encouraging indigenous enterprise and scaling up enterprise, and that\u2019s why the seed capital gains tax has been reduced somewhat, and why I think we have to do far more to create our own indigenous base, to kind of create a greater balance,\u201d he told Newstalk\u2019s Claire Byrne Show.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to think more about how we scale our own companies, and how we ensure that they have capital available to them to grow and to develop.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018People have never felt as poor\u2019 \u2013 Mair\u00e9ad Farrell<\/p>\n Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s spokeswoman on public expenditure, Mair\u00e9ad Farrell, has said there could have been a fairer way in Budget 2027 for the Government to address the challenges facing workers, Vivienne Clarke reports.<\/p>\n \u201cThis State has never been as rich, but people have never felt as poor as they do today. <\/p>\n \u201cThe majority of workers were left out of the tax changes that the Government announced yesterday and the problem here is that there actually was a fairer way of doing this and that would have been by cutting the USC from the first \u20ac40,000 that people earn.<\/p>\n \u201cThat would have actually meant something for all workers, for the majority of workers or the majority of workers today who work hard because the Ministers kept talking yesterday about those who work hard.<\/p>\n \u201cWell I\u2019m telling the Ministers very clearly here, those people who earn under \u20ac44,000, the SNAs, all the different people that really contribute to our society and to our communities, they do work hard as well and they should have been supported,\u201d Farrell told RT\u00c9 Radio\u2019s Morning Ireland.<\/p>\n Budget 2027 \u2018anything but a workers\u2019 budget\u2019 \u2013 ICTU<\/p>\n The general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has described Budget 2027 as \u201canything but a workers\u2019 budget\u201d, Vivienne Clarke reports.<\/p>\n Owen Reidy also said it had been \u201ca wee bit cheeky and gratuitous\u201d for Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers to \u201cmake a political point\u201d during the budget announcement about the continuing industrial action by public service workers.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought it was a bit rich. Unfortunately, we\u2019ve heard for the last number of weeks and months that this would be a workers\u2019 budget. It\u2019s anything but a workers\u2019 budget.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t look for tax cuts, but we looked for indexation. We needed double indexation because they didn\u2019t do it last year, which means basically that the tax system keeps up to pace with pay increases.<\/p>\n \u201cWorkers are probably about 2\u00bd per cent worse off than they should be, so we\u2019re not even standing still.\u201d<\/p>\n The budget had made the ongoing dispute even more difficult to resolve, he told RT\u00c9 Radio\u2019s Morning Ireland.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Minister and his Cabinet colleagues need to reflect on this.\u201d<\/p>\n The budget did not change anything in relation to the dispute, he added. <\/p>\n Means test for carer\u2019s allowance to be eliminated in Government\u2019s lifetime \u2013 Calleary Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary has said the Government will \u201cget rid of\u201d the means test for the carer\u2019s allowance during the lifetime of this Government, but it has to be done on a \u201csustainable basis\u201d, Vivienne Clarke reports.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s very clear determination here that we will eliminate the means test. It will be done in the lifetime of the Government. I have other priorities,\u201d he said on Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n Calleary pointed out that a couple on \u20ac126,000 a year from next July will get a full carer\u2019s payment. A couple on \u20ac155,000 will get a partial payment.<\/p>\n \u201cI have increased the thresholds by 84 per cent in my first two budgets,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Calleary said he wanted to ensure existing carers were \u201cpaid for\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cMany existing carers have had their payments increased. And increasing the main payments by \u20ac10 a week is an investment of \u20ac750 million,\u201d he told RT\u00c9 Radio\u2019s Morning Ireland.<\/p>\n The Minister defended the \u20ac3 increase in the weekly living alone allowance, saying it was now \u20ac25 per week.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve increased the availability of the fuel allowance,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n For a single person, the means-tested limit for fuel allowance has gone from \u20ac27,700 to above \u20ac33,000.<\/p>\n \u201cThat would bring 10,000 more single people over the age of 66 into the fuel allowance.\u201d<\/p>\n The fuel allowance will be paid over 28 weeks this winter, he added.<\/p>\n The Government was trying to assist with costs, but they could not assist with every cost, he said, adding that supports in the budget would encourage people to go into employment.<\/p>\n Government committed to increasing Defence Forces personnel \u2013 McEntee<\/p>\n Minister for Defence Helen McEntee has said increases in Defence Forces spending show \u201cvery clearly\u201d the Government is committed to increasing overall spending and \u201cincreasing numbers\u201d, Vivienne Clarke reports.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we\u2019ve said is we want to continue to increase significantly our investment, our investment in the number of Defence Force personnel that we have.\u201d<\/p>\n Increases in the budget would go towards recruitment for the Naval Service, along with investment in IT, \u201cmaking sure we have the equipment to fully see what\u2019s going on\u201d such as radar and sonar.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re investing in AI in the same way everybody else is as well,\u201d the Minister told Newstalk Breakfast.<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 5 hours ago<\/p>\n Bid to cut smoking \u2018abject failure\u2019, D\u00e1il told<\/p>\n A packet of 20 cigarettes will cost \u20ac20.15 following a \u20ac1 increase in the budget, bringing the tax take to \u20ac16.03 or almost 80 per cent of the retail price, writes Parliamentary Correspondent Marie O\u2019Halloran.<\/p>\n Ireland continues to have the most expensive cigarettes in Europe and now has the second highest cigarette prices in the world behind Australia, where a 20-pack costs \u20ac21.02.<\/p>\n The \u20ac1 increase was accepted in the D\u00e1il on Tuesday night by 110 votes to 48.<\/p>\n The pro-rata increase in the price of a typical pouch of roll-your-own tobacco is \u20ac1.39, bringing the retail cost to \u20ac29.72.<\/p>\n Introducing the tax, Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless said the increase on tobacco products would yield approximately \u20ac63.1 million in a full year, and \u20ac5.1 million for the remainder of 2026.<\/p>\n Read the full article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 5 hours ago<\/p>\n Reaction to Budget 2027<\/p>\n Government TDs around Leinster House were largely pleased with the budget package, though the reaction elsewhere was mixed.<\/p>\n Many representative and interest groups welcomed aspects of the budget but said that it did not go far enough. <\/p>\n Owen Reidy, general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, said the budget was \u201ca halfhearted apology for last year\u2019s\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Government has taken some bare minimum measures, but it is far from the workers\u2019 budget the Government claimed, and does not make up the ground workers have lost,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Employers\u2019 group Ibec welcomed aspects of the budget but said it was disappointed the Government had accepted recommendations to increase the national minimum wage.<\/p>\n Read the full article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 5 hours ago<\/p>\n Opinion: Somewhat muted reaction from all sides to budget The first budget of the Simon Harris-Jack Chambers combination, and the second of this Coalition, was presented on Tuesday to a somewhat muted reaction from all sides, writes Political Editor Pat Leahy.<\/p>\n Virtually all its main features had been flagged in advance and there were no last-minute surprises to excite supporters or inflame opponents; surprises, after all, can be risky and this Government is highly risk-averse.<\/p>\n The budget speeches were mostly received in polite silence. Government supporters were appreciative, but hardly ecstatic; Opposition TDs were critical but not exactly brimming with righteous fury. The responses flooding into the inboxes of TDs and journalists from the army of interest groups were mostly of the \u201cwe welcome … but not enough was done\u201d variety.<\/p>\n If a budget is an opportunity for a government to provide a statement of what it is about, then this Government is about keeping things going as they are, making incremental improvements, and above all, not annoying anyone.<\/p>\n Read the full article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 5 hours ago<\/p>\n Do you have questions on what Budget 2027 means for you? <\/p>\n The Irish Times has an expert team on hand to answer your queries. You can submit your question in the form below. <\/p>\n Questions will be answered in our Budget Q&A going live today by our experts: Irish Times Deputy Business Editor Dominic Coyle, Beryl Power, director at PwC and Ruth Gilligan, manager, at PwC Private Client Services.<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 5 hours ago<\/p>\n The Irish Times view: Coalition being driven by events<\/p>\n What\u2019s our view on the budget? Well, you can find it here<\/a>. <\/p>\n The final few paragraphs of our Editorial today reads: \u201cThe Government, like many others, is running to try to keep up with cost-of-living pressures. There are tough decisions here, for sure, but this is not an excuse for a lack of longer-term thinking.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd while it has some welcome measures, the budget gives the impression of a Government responding to events, rather than shaping them. Given the international upheavals this is understandable, to an extent. But continuing to base a public finance strategy on the health of a half dozen multinationals does not look wise.\u201d <\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 5 hours ago<\/p>\n Main Points – Full list of Budget 2027 measures <\/p>\n If you want to check what is in the budget here is our detailed list of the Budget 2027 main points<\/a>. <\/p>\n And here are some of the details on the \u20ac1.3 billion income tax package.<\/p>\n Minister for Finance Simon Harris said the changes would see workers earning \u20ac50,000 a year paying more than \u20ac700 less in income tax and USC.<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 5 hours ago<\/p>\n Sharp criticism from Fiscal Advisory Council<\/p>\n Trying to make sense of it all, Political Editor Pat Leahy writes in our lead story this morning <\/a>that the Government \u201cunveiled an \u20ac8.5 billion budget<\/a> package on Tuesday to bring public spending to a record level, and drew sharp criticism from the State\u2019s budgetary watchdog for increasing the reliance on \u2018high-risk corporation tax\u2019.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe package will bring public spending to \u20ac125.6 billion next year despite tensions in Government over the insistence of Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers<\/a> to limit spending growth to 6 per cent next year.\u201d<\/p>\n Katie Mellett – 5 hours ago<\/p>\n Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage on the day after Budget 2027. We will be bringing you more details, analysis and reaction over the day. <\/p>\n So, if you are catching up, reaction to the budget has been mixed. The total package of \u20ac8.5 billion involves a huge amount of extra spending and yet many groups – notably those struggling with fuel bills – aren\u2019t too happy. <\/p>\n![\"Taoiseach](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/EB4PWKKYUMUVH64CG4X3J3X5RI.jpg\")
Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin pictured last weekend. Photograph: Brian Lawless\/PA Wire <\/p>\n![\"Minister](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/LQ7LS27TSNFUFHHZ75TYFZBQQA.jpg\")
Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary briefing media on the social welfare elements of Budget 2027 at Government Buildings on Tuesday.
\nPhotograph: Dara Mac D\u00f3naill \/ The Irish Times <\/p>\n![\"Minister](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/N235TRI57AZDZ4NKQQKPYVACOM.JPG\")
Minister for Finance Simon Harris and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers announcing details of Budget 2027 on Tuesday. Photograph: Sam Boal\/Collins Photos <\/p>\n