Budget 2021- What you need to know
(Above) Minister of Finance Paschal Donohoe making the Budget 2021 speech earlier.
Health
An additional €4bn is to be allocated to the HSE.
€1.3bn is being allocated to pay for enhanced Covid-19 testing and PPE equipment.
Almost 1150 new acute hospital beds are to be provided.
The number of critical care beds is set to increase from 255 to 321 by the end of next year.
Five million more homecare hours are to be provided next year.
Business
The VAT rate for the hospitality sector has been reduced from 13.5 per cent to nine per cent. This will be introduced on November 1 and will remain in place until the end of 2021.
The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme will be extended beyond next spring.
A maximum of €5,000 per week will be made available to businesses whose turnovers have been severely effected by Covid-19. The first payments will be made in November and the scheme will run until March next year. The payment will be based on last year's average weekly turnover.
The commercial rates waiver has been extended up until the end of the year at a cost of €300m.
Going Up
The cost of a packet of cigarettes is going up by 50 cents.
Carbon tax will be increased from €26 to €33.50 per tonne of CO2.
The Living Alone Allowance is to go up by €5 per week.
The Fuel Allowance is going up by €3.50 per week.
The Carers Support Grant is going up by €150 per year to €1,850.
The scheduled increase in the pension age to 67 will not go ahead at the end of this year.
There will be no increases to income tax, PRSI or the USC.
Housing
€500m has been allocated for 9,500 new social housing units next year.
When leased properties are included, a total of 12,750 units are scheduled to be added to the social housing stock.
€22m has been allocated to provide additional supports for homeless people, including additional beds.
The Help to Buy Scheme is set to be extended.
Education
145 school building projects are set to be delivered.
€132m has been allocated for the National Broadband Plan.
Pupil teacher ratios are to be brought down by creating 600 new teaching posts.
A new €50m fund will provide financial assistance to third level students. It is expected to be worth €250 per student.
€120m is being made available for reskilling and retraining.
Justice
Funding has been allocated for the provision of 620 new Garda recruits and 500 new civilian admin staff.
€7.5m has been set aside for new Garda vehicles.
Capital Expenditure
A new €10bn fund has been established for critical infrastructure projects.
The government is set to buy 41 new InterCity Railcar carriages as part of the largest ever fleet expansion.
The Land Development Agency will have over €1bn to build nearly 9,000 affordable homes on state owned sites.
€90m is being invested in water infrastructure.
The Arts
€50m is being allocated for a Live Entertainment Supports package.
Arts Council Funding will be increased by €50m to €130m.