Publication
Your guide to Budget 2025
From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform; Department of Finance
Published on
Last updated on
This guide provides a high-level overview of Budget 2025.
It aims to explain how money will be raised and spent in 2025.
| Measure | Date |
|---|---|
| €250 electricity credits (2 x €125) | 2024/2025 |
| €300 Fuel Allowance lump sum | Winter 2024 |
| €200 Living Alone Allowance lump sum | Winter 2024 |
| Double month Child Benefit | Winter 2024 |
| €400 Working Family Payment lump sum | Winter 2024 |
| €100 Qualified Child Increment lump sum | Winter 2024 |
| Two double weeks for all long-term weekly welfare schemes | Oct and Dec 2024 |
| €400 lump sum to selected welfare categories* | Winter 2024 |
| Double payment of Foster Care Allowance | Winter 2024 |
*payment to recipients of the Carer’s Support Grant, Disability Allowance, Blind pension, Invalidity Pension and Domiciliary Care Allowance (one payment per individual)
- €125 Increase in the Main Tax Credits
- €2,000 Increase in the Standard Rate Cut-off Point
- €150 Increase in the Home Carer Tax Credit
- €150 Increase in the Single Child Carer Credit
- €300 Increase in the Incapacitated Child Tax Credit
- €300 Increase in the Blind person Credit
- increase in the USC middle threshold by €1,622
- reduction in the 4% USC rate to 3%
- increase in the Rent Tax Credit from €750 to €1,000
- increase in the Excise Duty and VAT on a pack of cigarettes by €1
- VAT on Heat Pumps decreased to 9%
- Sea-going Naval Personnel Tax credit extension
- introduction of 495 new beds to our health service, bringing the total number of hospital and community beds to 18,000
- increased access to IVF and HRT free of charge
- 1,600,000 additional home support hours
- a €12 increase in the weekly main social welfare rate for working age recipients and pensioners
- a comprehensive carer’s package: Increases to the Means Tests Disregard, Domiciliary Care Allowance, Carer’s Support Grant, and a Fuel Allowance
- extending the Hot School Meals programme to all primary schools in 2025 and introduction of a school meals holiday hunger pilot project
- 10,000 new-build social homes
- 10,000 new tenancies supported through the Housing Assistance Payment and Rental Accommodation Schemes
- €100 million for grants to adapt the homes of older people and people with a disability and to implement recommendations from the review of these schemes
- €186 million to support the regeneration and rejuvenation of our towns and cities under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund
- €400 million to accelerate the roll-out of the National Broadband Plan
- €235 million helping to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland through infrastructure and schemes
- €716 million to support sustainable farming through areas of natural constraint, forestry, organic farming and other schemes
- continued rollout of the BusConnects programme in our cities and more town bus services
- a new Search and Rescue contract for the Irish Coast Guard allowing for significantly improved services to protect and save lives
- €1 million per day investment in cycling and walking infrastructure
- fare initiatives on public transport, including the Young Adult Card and the ninety-minute fare, continued to end of 2025
- extension of free child fares on Public Service Obligation services, to include children aged 5-8 years for the first time
- €30 million for a new tillage scheme supporting farmers to plant their field grown crops
- €8 million to enhance payment rates on the Beef Welfare Scheme
- €10 million for animal health measures improving biosecurity
- €22 million for the continuation of the National Sheep Welfare Scheme into 2025
- almost €380 million to arts and culture
- €231 million to sports which will benefit clubs and organisations in every corner of the country
- significant increase in funding for the Irish Prisons Service, which includes provision for up to 350 additional staff
- funding for the recruitment of up to a further 1,000 Gardaí and 150 Garda civilian staff next year
- €7 million for organisations providing supports to victims of domestic, sexual and gender- based violence
- funding for the recruitment, training and support of a net increase of 400 military personnel
- highest ever allocation to official development assistance
- €13 million to help integrate migrants from Ukraine into local communities
- additional €25 million to the Community Recognition Fund for upgrades to sports facilities, community centres, parks, walking trails and playgrounds
- extension of the Free Schoolbooks initiative to all senior cycle pupils in recognised post primary schools within the free education scheme
- €78 million to support the continued growth of the craft apprenticeships system to 6,800 apprentice registrations
- €1.3 billion will support 350 school building projects currently underway as well as a further 200 new school projects
- 768 additional special education teachers and 1,600 more Special Needs Assistants
- the rollout of supports to allow schools become smartphone free areas throughout the school day
