Budget 2025 'has the common good at its core' - Jack Chambers | Full Speech

In Jack Chambers' first budget as Finance Minister and the last of this coalition there is no shortage of cash to spend.

An unprecedented social welfare package is highlighted by €1.5bn in one-off payments - including two double social welfare payments and two double Child Benefit payments by Christmas.

One of the last measures agreed was a new pensioners pass allowing over-70s to bring a friend or loved one with them for free on public transport.

Core social welfare rates will rise by €12 a week while electricity credits totaling €250 will be paid in November and December.

The Green Party has secured a €420 baby boost payment of Child Benefit to new parents and increases to maternity and paternity benefit.

The budget will also include the rollout of free Hormone Replacement Therapy and an expansion of the publicly funded IVF scheme.

There will also be an extra €30m in funding for new medicines.

The rollout of free HRT will begin in January of next year – with the State set to fund the cost of medicines, patches and other devices such as coils.

The expansion of the publicly funded IVF scheme will see couples who already have a child able to apply.

Donor-assisted IVF is also set to be included from 2025 with changes in the law and plans to establish a new Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority (AHRRA).

The budget will also include free schoolbooks for all children, 1,500 new SNAs and up to 1,000 new Gardaí.

There will also be more staff recruited for the International Protection Office.

On the tax side Universal Social Charge (USC) and income tax will be cut but the VAT on the hospitality sector is staying at 13.5%.

Duty will rise on cigarettes and there will be a new vaping tax but alcohol is being left alone.

Minister Chambers has previously said any such vape tax would increase over the coming years.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

📱 Have you downloaded the Newstalk app?

- Find the app in the Google Play store:

#️⃣ SUBSCRIBE to the Newstalk social channels:

- iTunes: search for Newstalk in your app!
- Spotify: search for Newstalk for our latest pods and news
- Or wherever you get your podcasts!

📱GET IN TOUCH WITH NEWSTALK
- WhatsApp: get in touch on 0871400106

[LimitedSkill]

Childrens hospital - now 2.2b (originally 650M) / Dail printer / Security cabin / Bike shed / etc. Lets waste it all...

[adamkennedy]

Money for everyone except the Irish unless in the Dail

[gulfstream]

I've never been more disillusioned by this present Government...

[Portsoffall]

I think I might give up my job, I'm not sure is it worth working anymore

[punkeasy]

Confronted with a war in Ukraine???
I couldn't give two hoots about Ukraine.! Nor could anyone I know.
Same goes for Palaistíne....

[agentpear]

Fine Gael have been in government for 2011 and housing and healthcare crises have gotten worse since. We need to vote these fools out.

[myspacetube]

The "common good". Where have I heard that before? Goons.

[myspacetube]

The "common good". Where have I heard that before? "Global pandemic" 😅. They cant help themselves.

[outerjeff]

It’s honestly ridiculous when you look at how the tax system treats single people. Why should someone be penalized just because they’re not married? Married couples can pool their income, get all these tax breaks, and end up paying less. Meanwhile, a single person making the same money gets stuck paying more.

And it’s not like everyone’s single by choice—sometimes life happens. But they still get hit harder with taxes. We’re always talking about equality and fairness, yet somehow this massive inequality in taxes between singles and married people gets ignored. It’s time to fix this and give single people the same financial fairness.

[Infowarrior]

So we are broke then, we are deeper in debt every year

[curious]

How do any of you think increasing the taxes on vehicle fuels is going to 'encourage' us to buy those ridiculously expensive electric cars you seem so bent on ramming down our throats? We're struggling as it is; we certainly don't have the money to spare to save for a brand new electric car, the manufacture of which is doing nothing for climate change.

[punchy]

So give everyone on the dole more money even though they don't vote well done it's like doing the right thing get a job, pay taxes, work hard, buy a house don't rely on handouts get nothing or pump out a bunch of kids you can't afford or take care of do nothing get everything and people like me will pay for it all because we all know they don't want companies paying their tax

[annbritton]

70% of the tax revenue comes from PAYE VAT and other consumer taxes NOT CORPORATIONS

[pixieizzy]

Jack Chambers is about 12, This is a joke

[BieLRevoLTz]

What are the changes for Irish The taxation on ETF is brutal. The worst in Europe!!! Nothing has

[lancerevo]

Another one who should be made live on social welfare for 12 months before getting into politics.
Never a financial bother in his life .

[Cathycupcake]

No provision made for the housing crisis

[DModding]

This is typical - give away budget just before an election

[Parasmunt]

All of ye little people, take these pennies. Are we not kind? Are we not santa claus? Vote FFG take these pennies. (vote us in and in five years there will be no more Ireland).

[oisinmorrissey]

If the government did wase so mutch money we would be the best country in the world to live in
What they at with the vapes they just made them twice as mutch