Who'll benefit from budget?
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Who is expected to benefit from Ireland’s €8.5 billion budget package?
First, though, this day week the budget will be revealed with an overall package of eight and a half billion euro that will touch almost every household in the country. Coalition leaders met at government buildings yesterday to finalise some of the details, but from social welfare to energy supports to income tax, who's expecting what and who will benefit most? I'm joined on the line by Ushin Cochland, policy advisor to the environmental pillar, by Michelle Murphy. Research and Policy Analyst with Social Justice Ireland and by Sharon Foley, CEO of Family Carers Ireland. Good morning to you all. Thanks very much indeed for joining us. Ushin, if I could come to you first, the Irish Independent reporting today that the Just Transition Commission, of which you are a member, is urging the government to stop public transport fare increases while fuel excise cuts continue.
And is also suggesting that the government is a very important thing Suggesting or implying that the government is pitting climate action and the cost of living against each other. Tell me about that. What what what message are you trying to get across there?
Why is the Just Transition Commission opposing public transport fare increases?
Well we thought there was a real risk uh in public perception when one week the uh the doy is recalled to maintain the reductions in the f in fuel prices for private cars. And the following week the National Transport Authority uh announces that there'd be an increase in public transport fares, which hits young people and poorer people worst uh from the from next January. That was really surprising given how successful the two euro. uh for ninety minutes across Dublin has been for example and the reductions generally have seen an increase in usage. So we were looking at uh at updating our advice to government uh and Michelle is on the Just Transition Commission as well, and we saw that there's actually an underspend in carbon tax income.
Uh the controller and order general has found that while it's ring fenced are are allocated for for um various supports, fuel allowance and uh uh and energy supports, etcetera, and farmers as well, it's not all being spent. So actually over the last four years the average underspend has been about sixty five million. a year and how much does the subsidy for public transport cost that that is being taken away next January? Seventy million. So there's a very good fit there and we're urging the government to think again and to maintain those subsidies in public transport and don't let public transport fares rise at the time when people need every help they can get.
Given the amount of controversy there is over the carbon tax, it seems a bit bizarre that all that money is unspent. Do we know why it's unspent, Oichin?
Um
So to farming schemes and to the fuel allowance and to retrofitting. And basically it's that n like m it it's a billion euro a year in total, roughly speaking, uh and about sixty five million a year isn't being spent. And it looks like that that m amount of money is going down. Now d like it doesn't get it gets spent on nurses instead, and it goes back into the general exjequer. It's not being wasted lost. Uh but it isn't all being spent. You know, some departments struggle to get all the money out the door by the end of the year, and if they don't, they have to get it back to deeper. That's the way the system works.
Should Ireland pause carbon tax increases during the cost-of-living crisis?
Yeah, uh I mean the carbon tax obviously is extremely controversial. It's been a target of a lot of criticisms excuse me. Uh there is su there are suggestions that the government might uh stall the increases in the carbon tax. I mean, given the price of fuel at the moment, there is a good argument for that, isn't there?
Uh well look absolutely as I said we need to look at everything we can do to support people and how we do that best. But all the advice is we should do it in a way that's targeted and tailored and temporary. And it is worth bearing in mind. Like the increase in the carbon tax that will be on the on on on the table on a normal year is two cent per litre of diesel, two cent of petrol, and of kerosene for home heating.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Who is expected to benefit from Ireland’s €8.5 billion budget package?
0:00–0:59
2
Why is the Just Transition Commission opposing public transport fare increases?
0:59–2:53
3
Should Ireland pause carbon tax increases during the cost-of-living crisis?
2:53–4:36
4
Can unspent carbon tax revenue help fund public transport and nature protection?
4:36–6:03
5
How much should Ireland increase social welfare payments to tackle poverty?
6:03–8:17
6
Would widening income tax bands help lower-paid workers?
8:17–10:48
7
How much should Carer’s Allowance increase to cover rising costs?
10:48–12:12
8
Should Ireland remove the means test for Carer’s Allowance?
12:12–14:08