Budget 2023

September 2022

Gallery

‘You get a budget for everyone else but there is no clarity for us’ – Childcare providers feel ignored in Budget 2023

Budget 2023 has not provided any clarity for the childcare sector and some providers may be forced to close as a result, the owner of a preschool in Dublin has said.

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That was the Budget that was

Poor old Pearse Doherty. He did Trojan work in taking on the dam burst of Government donations left, right and centre. We liked his line claiming “champagne corks will be flying tonight” among developers, as the Government “continues to roll out the red carpet”.

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Tech sector sees tax credit and employee share scheme extensions

The tech sector has given a cautious welcome to the extension of tax credits around intellectual property and employee share schemes in Budget 2023.

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Gallery

‘The money we’ve saved doesn’t get us what we want anymore’ – family with own business on the pressure to keep costs down

Frederique van Buuren lives with her partner Jos and their two daughters – aged 12 and nine – in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains. Originally from the Netherlands, they have been living in Ireland since 2007.

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‘The devil will be in the detail’ – €1.2bn supports set aside for small firms leaves restaurants wanting more

The Restaurants Association of Ireland has insisted that €1.2bn set aside by the Government to help small and medium-sized businesses cope with soaring energy costs “does not go far enough”.

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Growth sting: Inflation is heading for double digits this year and there’s a 2008 level of pessimism forecast for next year

Inflation is here to stay and a mini (domestic) recession is on the way, in an economic sting in the tail of the larger-than-expected €11bn Budget package.

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Budget 2023: Relief for students – but universities say funding provided was ‘very disappointing’

The Budget brought immediate relief for college students, with a €1,000 cut in fees this year – but universities are critical of the funding they will receive for 2023.

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€47m initiative on free books and drive for smaller classes at primary level, but teacher unions say it's not enough

A long-overdue €47m-a-year initiative to supply free school books for every primary pupil caught the public imagination in the €11bn Budget 2023.

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Sector requires long-term vision and brave strategies rather than a 'here and now' plan

There was much debate on social media in the past few days over how many thousand people marched in the capital over the cost of living.

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Gallery

Budget 2023: Dairy farmer and father-of-three ‘pleasantly surprised’

Farmer Cormac Browne was pleasantly surprised with Budget 2023.

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Gallery

Budget 2023: ‘It’s such a struggle’ – childcare providers and parents hit hard

Childcare providers are struggling to make ends meet and are at risk of burnout, the owner of a preschool in Dublin has said.

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Budget 2023: Reduction of creche fees a ‘lifeline for parents’ but industry warns it is just a sticking plaster

Families will have to make “near impossible” choices if the Government does not make more radical reforms in the childcare sector, Ireland’s largest public service trade union has warned.

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Budget 2023: Hospital inpatient charges to go as feelgood announcement provides a few wins in healthcare

Two of the Budget’s big-ticket items – the abolition of hospital inpatient charges and the planned extension of GP visit cards – provided some health service wins yesterday.

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Budget promises extra GP cards and end of hospital charges in April but no IVF funding until late 2023

The abolition of inpatient hospital fees and the extension of GP visit cards are due to roll out next April, but limited publicly funded IVF treatment will not start until the second half of next year.

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Caroline O’Doherty Opinion Carbon tax brings consistency to a crazy climate for energy reforms as cost goes up to €48.50 per tonne

In a budget of giveaways and blow-softeners, it fell to the carbon tax to elicit the necessary grumbles from the opposition benches.

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‘If I was to pack my job in and rely on welfare I could get my house retrofitted for free’ – Working mum hits out at income limits for energy upgrades

A mother-of-two from Dublin has criticised the Government for not raising the threshold for retrofitting grants far enough as part of its Budget 2023 measures.

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Gallery

Budget 2023: Just ticking over in neutral, but there is one sting in the tail for motorists

It was a relatively neutral Budget for motorists, but there is always one sting in the tail.

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Play

‘I still live with my parents – rent credit will help some but won’t rid us of housing crisis’ – Irish Independent journalists of all ages react to Budget 2023

I spent my childhood running around the green in Donabate, Co Dublin, and attending the local primary school.

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Premium

Charlie Weston Opinion The Government is throwing money at the energy crisis but will it work if the Vladimir Putin premium keeps rising?

It was billed as the cost-of-living Budget. But it could just as well be labelled the energy-crunch relief Budget.

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Premium

Mark Keenan Opinion Besides Help to Buy, Paschal Donohoe has thrown some very small bones at very big problems

Budget 2023 is a series of missed housing measures that we badly needed to solve a mammoth crisis. It’s nearly 10 years old, getting worse not better, and now threatens our future prospects both socially and economically.

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Behind the scenes of Budget 2023 – how record €11bn package was agreed after weeks of tense negotiations

The Government is banking that a record €11bn Budget package will ensure households can pay their bills, with the cost-of-living crisis set to rapidly escalate this winter.

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Premium

Mary McCarthy Opinion Squeezed middle shown some love as dig-outs give breathing space to struggling families

There were some decent immediate and long-term dig-outs for families in the Budget, but with higher prices few will break even this year.

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‘This increase will make our tourism Vat rate the second highest in the EU’ – mixed reaction from Irish hospitality sector

“A mixed one.” That’s how the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) summed up Budget 2023.

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‘I’m living out of my car because I can’t get accommodation for college’

After sending more than 150 emails to landlords and receiving just two replies, a 21-year-old student is living out of her car in Galway city as her search to find accommodation has become dire.

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Scrapping of Vat on newspapers to support ‘critical role’ of the free press across Ireland

A cut to zero in the rate of Vat applied to newspapers and digital subscriptions will be seen as a lifeline for the industry which lobbied hard to bring rates in line with European peers.

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‘So they’re going to recognise my work, by paying it to my spouse?’ – stay-at-home mother blasts ‘insulting’ home carer credit rise

Mothers who stay at home have questioned why the Government is recognising their work by giving a tax credit to their spouses.

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Gallery

Budget 2023: Small business owner says cost-of-living measures will hopefully help her retain staff

A small-business owner said there are many positives from Budget 2023. However, she would have liked to see more supports that would help increase investment in small firms.

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Premium

Richard Curran Opinion We’re worryingly reliant on tax revenue that just a few multinationals bring. But don’t worry, we have plenty of money – for now

The Exchequer is awash with money – for now. This was the big message to come across in the opening 18 minutes of Paschal Donohoe’s Budget speech.

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‘Increase in Carer’s Allowance is a tiny patch on a huge wound’ – Mum of child with special needs says measures announced in Budget won’t make a difference for her family

After leaving her job as a medical scientist to become a full-time carer for her 15-month-old daughter, Anna Budayova is receiving €40 a week in allowance from the Government.

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Renters less than impressed with €500 tax credit – ‘It’s a fraction of what we’re paying every month’

Renters will not see much benefit from the tax credit announced in yesterday’s Budget as rents are too high and people are struggling to find properties, one renter has said.