Key Lines from Budget 2025

• Measures will be implemented to protect the most vulnerable in society, give families and households a break, while also safeguarding the economy and preparing for the future.
• This budget marks the most any government has ever spent on housing, and over 115,000 new homes have been built since we entered government in 2020.
• The average worker will be approximately €1,000 better off, due to the combination of income tax cuts and targeted cost-of-living supports.
• Budget 2025 also provides unprecedented supports for SMEs, as measures will provide direct cost-of-doing-business support grants of up to €4,000.

Cost of Living Measures

• There is €250 worth of electricity credits being payed in two €125 sums in 2024 and 2025.
• A Fuel Allowance lump sum of €300 will be delivered in winter 2024.
• A €200 Living Alone Allowance lump sum will be payed in winter 2024.
• Mortgage interest tax relief will be extended for one further year.
• 9% VAT rates for gas and electricity will be extended to 30/04/2025
• The Rent Tax Credit will increase in respect of 2024.

Department of Social Protection.

• This is the largest Social Protection Budget Package in the history of the state, with measures being implemented to help alleviate the financial burdens placed on families due to the Cost of Living crisis.
• There will be two double payments of Child Benefit before Christmas.
• The weekly rates of the Child Support Payment will increase to €62 for those aged 12 and over, and to €50 for under 12s, beginning in January 2025.
• There is a €15 increase in Maternity and Paternity Benefit, in Adoptive Benefit, and Parent’s Benefit, from January 2025.
• A €400 payment will be made to families receiving the Working Family Payment.
• The Hot School Meals scheme will be extended to all remaining Primary Schools in 2025
• In addition, the new Newborn Baby Grant will provide a payment of €280 to parents for children born on or after the 1st of January 2025.

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

• Budget allocation focused on Children, Equality, Youth and Disability of €8 billion.
• There is a €265.8m (24%) increase in investment into Early Learning and Childcare to €1.37bn
• Further funding of €145m (14%) into the child welfare and family support services delivered by Tulsa.
• Improved funding and support towards children in foster care, with funding for extra support to foster families during the initial placement of a new foster child.
• The development of the new Autism Innovation Fund for local community groups supporting autistic children and adults.

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

•  €85m in new measures for farmers secured as part of an additional €158m in Budget 2025.
• There is an increase of payment under the National Sheep Welfare Scheme to €13 per ewe, and when combined with the €12 per ewe available under the CSP Sheep Improvement Scheme, sheep farmers will receive €25 per ewe in 2025, which is the largest payment ever made to sheep farmers.
• There has been an increase in the payment per calf under the National Beef Welfare Scheme to €75 per calf (bringing total payment per cow & calf to €225).
• Minister McConalogue announced that he will be delivering on his commitment of a €100 per hectare payment for farmers that planted tillage and field grown food crops for harvest 2024.
• €2.5 million has been allocated to improving farm safety measures.
• Forestry has been allocated €91m, which will support the Ash Dieback Reconstitution Scheme and the Ash Dieback Climate Action Performance Payment.
• There will be an additional payment of €5,000 per hectare for ash forest owners who engaged with an ash dieback reconstitution scheme.
• The fisheries and seafood sector has been allocated a total of €177m, which will support in the continued investment in our piers and harbours.
• The Seafood Processing Capital Investment Scheme will provide important support for capital investment in the seafood processing sector.
• There will be additional schemes in 2025 to support Producer Organisations and community-led local development within 10km of the coast through the Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs).
• In relation to agri-taxation, there will be an extension of the stock reliefs until the 21st of December 2027.
• The Capital Acquisition Tax Agricultural Relief, which is worth approximately €250m per annum to farmers.