Clare Fm - Podcasts

Clare's TDs have locked horns over whether Budget 2025 will give a helping hand to those in greatest need, or is simply thinly-veiled electioneering. Minister for Finance Jack Chambers has claimed the €8.3 billion package will put the country on a "firm footing for the future", but critics have dismissed it as a giveaway as the clock winds down to Election Day. Dubbed the largest Budget since the Celtic Tiger, this year's Budget contains a raft of measures aimed at appeasing various cohorts across society. Included in its record €2 billion social protection package are double payments for some social welfare recpients in October and a €12 increase in the weekly Social Protection payment. Two energy credits of €250 will go to every households on either side of Christmas while the 9% reduced VAT rate on gas and electricity will be extended to the end of April next year. These measures, according to Minister Chambers, are to "support the most vulnerable and ease the financial burden over the winter months"