2017 Irish budget

Summary

• Social welfare payments and the State pension are to increase by €5 per week commencing from the start of March.
• 50 cent added to the price of a packet of 20 cigarettes. The excise on alcohol and fuel is being left unchanged.
• Three USC brackets will be reduced by half a percent.
• A tax rebate of up to €20,000 in a new help-to-buy scheme for first-time buyers. This goes toward a deposit for a new home.
• The rent-a-room relief is to be increased. With a higher tax ceiling of €14,000, the government hopes to encourage homeowners to rent out a vacant room.
• The Home Renovation Incentive Scheme is being extended by two years to the end of 2018 to help those not buying new homes.
• The home carers’ credit is to increase by €100 to bring it up to €1,100.
• The Government is reducing the €25 cap on prescription charges for over-70s to €20 from 1 March.
• Social welfare recipients will be entitled to a Christmas bonus equal to 85 per cent of their weekly payment.
• 800 new gardaí to be recruited in 2017.
• Funding for the Department of Defence is to increase by €16 million.
• €1.2bn in funding for housing, with 47,000 new social housing units by 2021.
• Medical card for all children who receive domiciliary care allowance.
• Intention to introduce tax on sugar-sweetened drinks in April 2018 after public consultation.