Budget 2027 - Wicklow TD Simon Harris delivers his Budget in the Dáil from 1pm, with workers, families and rural households all in line for support.
East Coast FM News - Tuesday 6 October 2026
The Government will announce an €8.65 billion Budget today, made up of €7 billion in new spending and €1.65 billion in tax changes.
Minister for Finance, Tánaiste and Wicklow TD Simon Harris will reveal the full breakdown in the Dáil alongside Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers.
€150m more in tax measures than first expected, because of the energy shock.
The spending side stays at its €7 billion ceiling, a 6% increase.
|
Measure |
Now |
From Budget 2027 |
|---|---|---|
|
40% tax rate starts at |
€44,000 |
€46,500 |
|
Personal, employee and earned income credits |
€2,000 each |
€2,125 each |
|
Minimum wage, per hour |
€14.15 |
€14.94 |
|
Core welfare rates and pensions |
current rate |
+€10 a week |
|
Fuel allowance (likely) |
current rate |
+€5 a week |
|
Tax-free earnings for home childminders |
€15,000 |
€20,000 |
|
Cost-of-disability payment |
none |
€500 lump sum, January 2027 |
Dáil
Based on pre-Budget reporting on the morning of the announcement.
The "Now" figures for the tax band and minimum wage are worked back from the reported increases.
Your pay packet
The 40% income tax rate will now start at €46,500, up €2,500. The personal, employee and earned income tax credits each rise by €125 to €2,125.
The Government has accepted the Low Pay Commission's recommendation to raise the minimum wage by 79 cent to €14.94 an hour, and the 2% USC band will be adjusted to reflect it.
Worth €750 a year to a single person on €50,000, and €1,500 to a couple on €100,000.Some revenue-raising measures will also be included.
Pre-Budget reports also pointed to modest increases in the three inheritance tax thresholds and a bigger renter's tax credit, though exact amounts were not confirmed.
Welfare, pensions and disability
The main welfare rates and pensions will rise by €10 a week, matching last year, though the main child benefit rate may stay put. The Minister has confirmed that the second tier of child benefit for low-income households will not be introduced this year. The fuel allowance is likely to rise by €5 a week.
A new €500 cost-of-disability payment. It will be paid as a lump sum in January 2027.
Energy and cost of living
The cuts in excise duty on petrol and diesel will be extended into the spring. The fuel support scheme for farmers, hauliers and transport operators will also be extended. Carbon tax relief on home heating oil, and probably gas, is expected too, and a €600 grant for home batteries is also reported.
Childcare: the centrepiece
Parents of children in full-time care up to senior infants age can expect a cut of about €1,000 a year, through a bigger National Childcare Scheme subsidy and a lower fee cap. Aftercare in the first two years of primary school is covered, and the changes take effect from September 2027.
Part of the push towards the Coalition's €200-a-month-per-child pledge.
For people minding children in their own home, the tax-free earnings limit rises from €15,000 to €20,000. That threshold has not moved since 2007.
Also in the Budget
A €15 million scheme for rural pubs, including a tax rebate on draught beer kegs, was a late addition. A cut to the Student Contribution Fee is also expected.
What it means for Wicklow — The commuter household
For a county where thousands travel to Dublin every day, the tax changes should show up quickly.
A single worker on €50,000 in Bray, Greystones or Arklow could be around €750 better off a year.
A dual-income couple on a combined €100,000, a common profile in the north of the county, could be about €1,500 ahead. Minimum wage workers see the hourly rate climb to €14.94.
The driver and the rural home
Wicklow is a car-dependent county, so the extended petrol and diesel excise cuts will matter to long-distance commuters. In west Wicklow and the uplands, where home heating oil is common, carbon tax relief could take some pressure off winter bills. Farmers and hauliers will be watching the fuel support extension closely.
The young family
A family with a child in full-time creche could save about €1,000 a year, but not before September 2027. Parents using aftercare in junior and senior infants may benefit too. Those minding children at home gain from the higher tax-free threshold.
Pensioners, carers and renters
An extra €10 a week is €520 over a full year for pensioners and welfare recipients, with fuel allowance households getting a further €5. Carers and people with disabilities qualify for the €500 lump sum in January.
Renters in Wicklow's towns should see the tax credit rise, and student families may feel the fee cut.
The catch
Families hoping for a bigger child benefit payment are unlikely to get one, and the biggest childcare savings are almost a year away.
The final detail on USC bands, the renter's credit and excise duties will emerge in the Budget documents this afternoon.
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