Budget 2025 Reaction... 'High-octane Giveaway Budget' or 'Buying Votes With Citizens Money'
There has been a mixed reaction to Budget 25
The government has been accused of unashamedly buying citizens votes with their own money, has been hailed for delivering targeted supports to the most vulnerable and as the key to easing costs of green transition for farmers.
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The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee has announced a record €3.61 billion for current expenditure and €310 million for capital investment in the Justice sector.
This unprecedented budget will be targeted to enhance public safety, improve crime prevention, ensure safe prisons, and drive end-to-end modernisation across Ireland’s immigration systems.
Minister McEntee said: “My priority is building stronger, safer communities, and this budget, the fifth since I took office as Minister, underscores the Government’s commitment to that goal. Since 2020, I have increased funding to An Garda Síochána by more than half a billion euros.
“This budget provides investment across the entire criminal justice system, including the courts and the prisons and builds on a robust programme of new laws and policy delivery, along with significant capital investments in technology, equipment, and buildings. This is made possible through a continued recruitment of dedicated people to work towards our shared mission of a safe, fair, and inclusive Ireland.
"In 2025, we’ll continue to strengthen frontline policing with between 800 and 1,000 new Gardaí set to begin training in Templemore. I was pleased to secure an increase in the Garda trainee allowance to €354 per week and on top of this I have provided millions of euros for public order equipment including body armour, the expansion of the dog unit and two new water cannons.
“I will continue to provide funding to free-up Gardaí for front line policing work. New funding will ensure that the Courts Service can outsource jury minding, which will free up thousands of Garda hours for frontline policing services.
"More Gardaí on the streets means more visible policing across Ireland. The increased budget for Garda overtime will ensure that cities, towns, and rural communities continue to benefit from enhanced visibility and public safety.
“Ensuring frontline Gardaí are equipped with Body-Worn Cameras is a key priority for me and forms part of my plan to ensure that An Garda Síochána is a leading and modern police service fit for the digital age. €100 million for Garda ICT will support the further development of a digital evidence management systems which will enable the faster review of evidence and support speedier detection and prosecution of offences. It will also enable the nationwide roll-out of Body-Worn cameras and the introduction of facial recognition technology for the first time.
"Community participation is crucial to people feeling safe and being safe and in 2025, we’re investing €5.5 million to roll out 36 Community Safety Partnerships across the country with the support of the New National Office which will be launched shortly. The Community Safety Innovation Fund, which reinvests proceeds seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau, is increasing to €4 million.
"I have trebled the funding for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in my time as Minister for Justice, with another significant increase in Budget 2025 to fund our Zero Tolerance strategy, improve services, better protect victims, and keep us on track to double the number of refuge spaces."
On the investment to achieve improvements in all aspects of the immigration system, the Minister stated:
“My priority is to deliver faster processing, a more efficient returns system and stronger border security. That is what this Budget delivers. The €25 million investment will modernise Ireland’s immigration system from end to end. It provides for reducing application processing times, by significantly increasing staff and through greater use of technology. These measures will enable progress toward our obligations under the EU Migration Pact which comes into effect in 2026.
“The Family Justice Strategy recognises the importance of the voices of children impacted family law disputes. I am proud to have secured €3m in 2025 for a programme of work to improve the quality of expert reports in family law proceedings and to standardise practises relating to how they are commissioned and by whom. These will help to safeguard our children and advocate for their best interests."
Additionally, Minister McEntee stressed the importance of addressing pressures within the prison system.
"It is essential that we increase overall capacity within the Irish prison service and continue to boost the number of staff. The allocation of €53m in capital funding in 2025 will help us deliver over 1,100 new prison spaces in the coming years. The pressures on our prisons are acute and that is why I am delighted that additional funding of €4 million has been secured for the Probation Service who will offer cost effective alternatives to prison, by also facilitating increased community return, as well as reducing delays and adjournments across the criminal courts.”
“I am immensely proud that next year will be the first full year of operation of a number of new Statutory Bodies who will operate and oversee policing, security, and community safety. A modernised and robust response to the 21st century challenges of policing security and a whole of Government approach to community safety.
"In 2025, we’ll continue to ensure the Data Protection Commission has the resources to safeguard the privacy rights of our citizens."
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Budget 2025 will ensure the best start for every child in County Meath with significant investment in early learning and childcare, and education, according to Cllr Linda Nelson Murray.
“Through Budget 2025, Fine Gael is helping to make Ireland the best country in the world to be a child.
“A 24pc increase in investment in early learning and childcare will result in €1.37bn being spent on the care and education of our youngest in 2025, the biggest ever investment.
“With this budget more than doubling during the lifetime of this Fine Gael led government, children in Co Meath also benefit from a broad range of reforms including reduced childcare costs, stability and sustainability for providers, and pay increases for staff in the sector.
“It is clear that reforms in the early years sector introduced by Fine Gael are working, and in 2025, 216,000 children will benefit from the National Childcare Scheme, while the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme (ECCE) will benefit 107,000 children.
“I am pleased to hear that this progress will continue and grow next year, with the childcare fee freeze being maintained, ringfenced funding for a third successive staff pay increase, and an expansion of supports for children experiencing disadvantage.
“Funding for Tusla will increase by 14% or €145m, while an additional €6.95m is being provided to support and expand youth services.
“Fine Gael are providing €10.5bn to continue to invest in our schools, with an increase to capitation funding to meet running costs, additional funding for social inclusion programmes, and new initiatives to keep our schools smartphone free.
“Parents in Co Meath will welcome the extension of free schoolbooks to Senior Cycle students, reducing the cost of education for 200,000 students.
“I know that the provision of special education is a concern for many families in Co Meath. Significant progress has been made since Fine Gael introduced a dedicated Minister for Special Education and Inclusion in 2020, and this is further enhanced in Budget 2025.
“Families in Co Meath rely heavily on the school transport scheme, and funding of €52m will ensure it continues to support the transport of children to and from school. Free public transport is also being extended to children aged between five and eight years old.
“I have heard first hand from parents and teachers of the success of the hot school meals in participating schools in Co Meath and I cannot wait until it is in my own children’s school! It saves me a job in the mornings and I know they will get a good meal.”
“I am delighted that Minister Humphreys has secured funding to complete the rollout of this programme to all remaining primary schools, meaning every child will get a hot lunch in school, and busy parents will have one less thing to worry about.
“Fine Gael are supporting children with a double child benefit payment in November and December supporting working families in the run up to Christmas.
“Maternity, Paternity, and Parents Benefit will be increased to €289 per week and a €400 lump sum for Working Family Payment are amongst other measures families in Co Meath will welcome.
“Fine Gael want to provide the necessary conditions to support our most precious citizens to thrive and investment in childcare and education in Budget 2025 are further proof of this commitment,” Cllr Murray concluded.
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Maria Walsh MEP said it was the €2billion farming package was largest ever for the agricultural sector.
“While Budget 2025 is being hailed as a cost-of-living budget, it also contains a historically large package for the agricultural sector. This is a budget for farmers.
“For the first time ever, the total envelope for farmers will increase to over €2 billion. This investment will be key to easing farmers’ journey through the ongoing green transition.
“Along with financial support, farmers will also benefit from the inheritance tax changes secured by Fine Gael. This was a cornerstone of Fine Gael’s Budget 2025 policy and will offer significant relief to many farm families. A change to young trained farmers’ stamp duty is also included within Budget 2025, as is extending the test for agriculture relief to ensure only genuine farmers receive the support they need."
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Meanwhile, the government has been accused of presenting a high-octane election budget unashamedly buying citizens votes with their own money by Aontu leader, Deputy Peadar Toibin.
"This is McCreevy Mark 2. Universal once off payments are more about raising poll ratings that lifting families out of poverty. Long term targeted supports lift families out of poverty. The reduction exclusively of the middle rate of USC as opposed to spreading the cut over the middle rate and the lower rate means that those on upper incomes will benefit significantly more," he said.
"In terms of infrastructure, it is waste as usual. The government will deliver less for more cost. Infrastructure projects are grinding to a halt while their budgets are ballooning.
"There is no sign of HSE reform, no talk of a recruitment freezes for senior management and administration in the HSE? No sign of tackling the Health €2.5bn compensation paid. There is nothing to indicate brakes that will be applied to budget waste at the OPW.
"It is interesting that without corporation taxes our budget would be in serious deficit. Fine Gael for years battled tooth and nail efforts to delete corporation tax loop holes and breaks. They also fought efforts to increase the rate of Corporation tax. Without these two steps our budget surplus would be much reduced and possibly close to a deficit.
"Last year the government made more from tax on fuel than every before. This budget saw another massive increase hitting commuters and homeowners. The electricity credit will be completely eroded by the increase in the PSO levy and the corporation tax."
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Minister for Sport Thomas Byrne said Budget 2025 will deliver targeted supports to people, families and businesses to alleviate pressures caused by the increased cost of living.
"In Budget 2025 we are implementing measures to protect the most vulnerable in society, give families and households a break, safeguard the economy and prepare for the future.
“We want to cushion people, families, pensioners and businesses from the impact of inflation over recent years. That is why we are giving every household €250 in energy credits this winter.
“Fianna Fáil in Government has championed increases to the State pension and prioritised the well-being of older people and the most vulnerable. Budget 2025 sees a €12 rise in all weekly social protection payments and lowers the eligibility age for the Fuel Allowance from 70 to 66.”
Minister Byrne said Budget 2025 marks the most any Government has ever spent on housing. he said: “This budget sees the most any Government has ever invested in housing. Over 115,000 new homes have been completed since we entered government in 2020. We are guaranteeing the Help-to-Buy scheme will be in place to the end of the decade and for renters we are increasing the renters tax credit for both this year and next to €1,000 per renter to help them with the cost of rent.”
He said Budget 2025 builds on Fianna Fail’s reform of the healthcare and education sectors, while providing supports to low- and middle-income workers and SMEs.
“Budget 2025 prioritises those who need it most, offering significant income tax relief to help address ongoing cost-of-living pressures. Under Fianna Fáil, the average worker will be approximately €1,000 better off, thanks to a combination of income tax cuts and targeted cost-of-living supports.
Minister concluded: "Fianna Fail's Budget prioritises helping people, families and businesses with the increased cost of living, and increasing investment in housing, water, energy and key infrastructural projects will protect Ireland's progress and secure our future."
The Social Democrats have hit out at the "derisory five per cent increase in stamp duty on bulk purchases" which will continue to facilitate investment funds snapping up homes at the expense of first-time buyers.
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Social Democrats housing spokesperson, Cian O’Callaghan said; “Budget 2025 was a golden opportunity to begin the radical change that is needed to fix the housing crisis. Instead, it contains a series of tokenistic half measures and one-off handouts.
“Nowhere is this clearer than the completely inadequate five per cent increase to the stamp duty on bulk purchases.
“There is no reason investment funds should be allowed to buy up housing estates. It benefits nobody but their own shareholders.
“The Government’s increased stamp duty introduced in 2021 gave the appearance of them taking action, but we know it has been utterly ineffective.
“Last year alone, the number of homes bought in bulk increased by 58 per cent. Clearly, investment funds are more than happy to fork out the extra stamp duty to buy up homes.
“The Social Democrats have called for the rate of stamp duty on bulk bought homes to increase to 100 per cent - this would act as an effective ban on the practice.
“This is not an extreme measure. Allowing existing homes to be bought in bulk drives up house prices, locks out first-time buyers and adds nothing to our overall housing stock.”
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Eoin Clarke, Energy expert at Switcher.ie said although USC cuts and tax boosts for working households have grabbed the headlines this year, another parcel of energy supports will provide relief for thousands facing fuel poverty this winter.
"Sadly, with energy credits reduced to €250 - a fraction of last year's giveaway - and energy bills still at record levels, the credit could be cold comfort for struggling households. Although energy rates continue to drop, they're nowhere near pre-crisis prices and the 9% VAT rate is only extended for 6 months.
"Nevertheless, the €300 lump sum for fuel allowance recipients will be a welcome boost for those who need it most. Support has now been extended to those in receipt of Carer's Allowance, so carers and over 70s should check if they qualify and apply as soon as possible because payments can't be backdated."
Inclusion Ireland has said that while Budget ‘25 has brought short-term progress in education for disabled children, it is at the detriment of long-term reform of a system which is failing them.
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Derval McDonagh, CEO of Inclusion Ireland, said: “Investing in a strategic plan means moving away from reactive, short-term fixes. This budget won’t cut the mustard when 74% of our parents are telling us their children need schools to be completely reformed. Children are struggling in school today to get the support they need, while families fight to get access to what should be basic rights for their child.
“We welcome additional investment in education and increases to disability allowances. However, for 7-year-old Chloe, one of our members who has faced so many barriers these past 23 schooldays and has yet to access her local school, this budget will make no difference to the next 157 days of the school term. The 45% of disabled children who face similar barriers need an inclusive system which supports them appropriately as they go to school with their siblings and neighbours.”
She added: “Long-term investment is not just the right thing for Government to do - it can also help alleviate some of the barriers people with an intellectual disability face later on in life; low employment rates, living in poverty, limited independent living options.”
“Children need therapy in schools, reduced class sizes and CAMHS-intellectual disability teams to support their mental health before crisis point. We need a system in which adults are upskilled in rights-based, relationship-centred training.”
The Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) has expressed grave disappointment and frustration with the Government’s Budget announcement, which offers no reduction in VAT or excise duty for the pub sector. Despite calls for support from publicans across the country, today's measures fall disastrously short of what is needed to protect a sector on the brink.
The Government has instead proposed a series of minor supports, but these are largely irrelevant to the core issue facing publicans, which is the rising costs of business. The VFI is sounding the alarm that these insufficient measures will push many pubs to the breaking point.
Speaking about the Government’s inaction, VFI CEO Pat Crotty states: "The Budget is a disaster for our sector. We have been clear with the Government about the immense pressure pubs are under, yet they have failed to deliver any meaningful support. Every minister and TD fully understands this Budget will lead to closures for a huge number of businesses across the county. The Government’s own report from earlier this year accepts that many of the policies introduced to improve working conditions will increase operating costs for businesses.
“For pubs to survive our members needed to hear that VAT would be lowered to 9% along with a reduction in excise duty. What’s worse, the minor supports Government is offering are nearly useless when you consider the soaring cost of doing business. Pubs are already closing their doors, and this Budget will accelerate that trend."
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The Irish Hotels Federation expressed deep disappointment with Budget 2025, saying the Government has failed to respond in any meaningful way to the commercial crisis facing hospitality food-led businesses. IHF President Michael Magner says: “The Budget does next to nothing to address the enormous challenges confronting our sector while at the same time imposing further costs on thousands of hospitality businesses.”
“The decision not to reduce the hospitality VAT rate is short-sighted and extremely concerning given the stark commercial environment that food service businesses are operating under throughout the country. These businesses are facing a perfect storm as they grapple with rising costs, the impact of the 13.5% VAT rate and very tight margins. It is becoming increasingly clear that Government policies are now fundamentally at odds with the long-term interests of our sector and wider tourism industry.”
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Deputy Fergus O’Dowd, has said Budget 2025 will put more money back in people’s pockets at a time when they need it most.“Under the guidance of Taoiseach Simon Harris, this is a Budget that delivers as we are cutting costs for families by providing two double child benefit payments to every parent in the country before Christmas, providing free schoolbooks for senior cycle students, cutting college fees by €1,000, increasing maternity, paternity and parental benefit by €15 a week. In addition, there will be a baby boost payment of €460 for every child born after January 1st,” O’Dowd said.
“This government is ensuring that those who need the most help get it. Every pensioner will receive an increase of €12 in their pension. There will be an extension to the fuel allowance to help more people qualify and an automatic companion pass for people aged over 70. We know bills are expensive for you so there will be two energy credits worth a total of €250 before Christmas. Reduced costs for public transport will be extended for 12 months and free public transport to children aged under 9.
“This budget has increased the point at which people pay the higher rate of tax from €42,000 to €44,000. We are cutting the USC by 1pc on incomes between €25,000 to €70,000. Consequently, a single person on an income over €50,000 per year will pay €859 less this year in tax compared to last year. Changes now mean a full-time worker on €56,000 will get €916 in tax savings. In addition, you can now also get €1,500 tax free from your employer in a voucher up to five times a year.
“Housing is the biggest issue facing us and ensuring everyone has an opportunity to own their own home and this housing budget is being boosted by €3bn from the sale of AIB shares which will go to the Land Development Agency, upgrading water and energy infrastructure. This combined funding will lead to 6,400 new affordable and cost rental homes including 2,000 homes under the First Home scheme. We’re extending Help to Buy until 2029 – offering €30,000 in support to first-time buyers."
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AsIAm, Ireland’s Autism Charity, welcomed some of the measures in Budget 2025 but was concerned that the budgetary measures fall short of what is expected and what is needed for the Autistic community and families in Ireland today.
"While the Government recently published the Autism Innovation Strategy, Budget 2025 was a missed opportunity to strategically prioritise the actions set out within the Strategy, and the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism.
"Measures such as the increase of €12 in Disability Allowance, Carers Allowance and Domiciliary Care Allowance fall well short of giving our community the same chance. We hear from Autistic people and families across Ireland of having to navigate long waiting lists for assessment, lack of access to school places and transport, wellbeing and social exclusion, lack of opportunities to live independently in the community, and to belong and be included in society as they are."