The Budget for 2019 has just been delivered by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe.
The government is cutting tax and increasing spending next year as they announced a €15 billion package in the Dáil this afternoon.
It includes a range of modest tax cuts and increased spending in areas like health, housing and education.
There will be a €100 million scheme for affordable housing.
The health budget will increase by €1.2 billion giving 100,000 more people free GP cards.
There will be an extra €84 million for mental health services next year.
The Tourism sector will be hardest hit with the VAT rate being increased from 9% to 13.5%.
With restaurants and pubs being in this sector this means even though the price of alcohol didn't go up a night out could become more expensive.
While cigarettes are going up by 50c for a pack of 20 meaning the average pack will be €12.70.
All social welfare payments will increase by €5 from next year.
The budget "aims to make us Brexit ready" - Paschal Donohoe #budget19 pic.twitter.com/0dnfQIxPKs
— SPIN 1038 (@spin1038) October 9, 2018
TAXES:
- Pack of 20 cigarettes increasing by €0.50
- All cigarettes sold below €11 will have the same excise as those over €11
- 9% VAT rate to be retained for newspapers
- Electronic publications to have rate cut from 23% to 9%
- Tax on betting to rise from 1% to 2%
- 1% surcharge for diesel vehicles
- Retention of 9% VAT rate for sporting facilities
- Home carer tax credit to increase by €300 to €1,500
- Third rate of USC to be cut from 4.75% to 4.5%
- Entry level for higher rate of income tax increasing by €750 euro to €35,300
EXPENDITURE:
- €2.3 billion put aside for a housing programme
- €1.25 billion to deliver 10,000 new social homes
- An extra €121 million for Housing Assistance Payment
- €60 million increase in funding for emergency accommodation
- €30 million extra for homelessness services
- €100 million affordable housing fund - increasing to €310 million over three years
- €1.2 billion extra for the health sector
- €25 increase in weekly income threshold for GP visit cards
- An extra €84 million for mental health services
- 950 special needs assistants to be recruited in 2019
- Increase in funding to disability services of €150 million to €2 billion
- €5 a week increase in all social welfare payments from next March
- Christmas bonus to social welfare recipients to be restored to 100%
- Two extra weeks parental leave to all parents of a child under one
- Child payments up €2.20 per week for under 12s & €5.20 per week for over 12s
- An increase of €2 in back to school clothing & footwear allowances
- 1,300 additional posts in schools in 2019
- Extra €196 million for capital spending in education
- €90 million to change bands for affordable childcare scheme
- Budget of An Garda Síochána to increase by €60 million
- 800 new Gardaí to be recruited
- €126 million for sport with €41 million for clubs & organisations
- €36 million extra for Department of Culture
- Minimum wage to be increased to €9.80 per hour
We've also shared some of the top line points on our Instagram & Twitter accounts:
Minimum wage to increase to €9.80 an hour from January #budget19 pic.twitter.com/m4w9Vz5J3C
— SPIN 1038 (@spin1038) October 9, 2018
Mental Health services will get an extra €84 million next year #budget19 pic.twitter.com/1BzMYiU3Q0
— SPIN 1038 (@spin1038) October 9, 2018
The rate of unemployment is at its lowest level in a decade #budget19 pic.twitter.com/W3iGdiNSmK
— SPIN 1038 (@spin1038) October 9, 2018
