Budget 2026 Coverage on WLR is brought to you by Azets Waterford & Wexford.

09:15am

Good Morning Waterford. It’s Budget day and WLR will have coverage throughout the day online and on-air, bringing you the latest on Budget 2026 and what it means for you and for Waterford.

09.30am

Here’s what we know so far:

The total planned package is €9.4 billion for Budget 2026, this includes €7.9 billion in additional public spending and €1.5 billion euro envelope for tax measures.

However, it is expected that the Government will move to cut VAT for food-led hospitality from 13.5 per cent to 9 per cent, after a long-running campaign for a sector which has sought to highlight a rising cost of business, and much of the €1.5 billion euro tax envelope will be taken up by that.

WLR has been speaking to businesses and people across Waterford to get their views on what should be in Budget 2026.

Emilene Stafford owner of Merry’s Gastro Pub in Dungarvan has called on the Government to reduce the VAT rate saying it is: “100% essential , businesses in hospitality cannot go on like this”.

Additionally locals have said their concerns are with the cost of living, rising energy costs and food price inflation.

10.00am

Ahead of Finance Minister Pascal Donohoe and Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chmabers speeches at 1pm, some detail is emerging on what is going to be announced.

  • It’s expected a VAT rate cut for the hospitality sector, will take effect in July.
  • A ten euro rise in social welfare rates is also among the measures due to be announced.
  • There are expected to be no changes to personal income tax , with Simon Harris saying the focus will be on “investment in services”.
  • There will be money for hiring up to 1,000 new gardai, 860 special education teachers and the deployment of 1,700 SNAs.
  • 1,000 extra Gardai.
  • An additional 300 staff for mental health services.
  • A VAT cut rate is expected for developers building new apartments.
  • There will be a permanent cut in the student contribution fee of €500, bringing it down to €2500
  • A new Vape Tax is set to be announced of 50 cent per millilitre of vape liquid.

10.45am

Some sectoral specific news coming in.

Health

  • The health budget is due to grow by 6.5% or €1.5 billion with funding to be allocated based on demand and productivity.

Housing

  • A VAT cut for developers building new apartments.
  • The Rent Tax Credit is to be retained at €1,000 for a single person and €2,000 for a couple.
  • The Help to Buy Scheme is due to kept at €30,000.

Childcare

  • There will be no reduction in childcare costs to €200 as promised during the General Election. Instead the focus will be on increasing capacity and boosting the number of places available.

Social Welfare

  • A €10 increase is expected across all core social welfare rates, including the state pension.
  • A package of €2 billion is expected for the Department of Social Protection.
  • There are changes expected in the income disregard for carer’s allowance,

Transport

  • Investment in public transport services remain the same, now standing at €940 million.
  • No increase in excise duty on petrol or diesel is expected.

Arts

  • The basic income pilot scheme for artists is to be replaced with a permanent scheme.

11.30am

The Finance Minister says Budget 2026 will see more permanent investments in things like capital infrastructure. While the Public Expenditure Minister, saying the budget is going to have a significant focus on housing.

11.45AM

The CEO of Dungarvan and West Waterford, Jenny Beresford has said she would welcome increased investment in capital infrastructure, as it will reduce overall costs in energy, housing, childcare. However, she emphasised the need for the investment to be used strategically and to not only focus on larger cities.

12.00pm

The Public Expenditure Minister, Jack Chambers said Budget 2026 needs to take account of the ongoing global risks. Minister Chambers said “it is a package which moderates overall Government spending in the face of geo-politcal risk”.

12.15pm

Meanwhile, the Finance Minister, Pascal Donohoe says “investment and balance” are key features of Budget 2026. Minister Donohoe is saying the budget needs to be focused on the country’s future.

12.30pm

With these soundings about investment and balance, it would seem there is no hope of cost of living measures being announced. Local people in Waterford speaking to WLR on the city streets are saying “costs are astronomical, the Government need to help people who are working”.

12.45pm

Those in the hospitality industry in Waterford are cautiously welcoming the news the VAT rate is due to be reduced. Declan Moriarty, the General Manager of the Park Hotel in Dungarvan said it is critical for financial viability of the sector.

1.00pm

And we are off, Minister Donohoe is on his feet on the floor of the Dail.

1.15PM

The budget surplus this year is a massive €10.6 billion euro and is estimated to be €5.1 billion next year. This year’s package as mentioned above is €9.4 billion.

Minister Donohue has highlighted the over reliance on corporation tax receipts is a risk.

1.30pm

Announcements by Sector.

Housing

  • There is a €5 billion package in capital investment for Housing next year.
  • There will be reduction in the VAT rate on the sale of completed apartments to 9% from 13.5%.
  • Further exemption in 2026 for the Residential Zoned Land Tax for those seeking to have land rezoned for genuine economic activity.
  • The profits arising from homes that fall under Cost Rental Schemes are to be exempted from corporation tax for developments on or after the 8th of October.
  • A new derelict property tax will be created to replace the derelict sites levy – it will be charged at a rate of no less than 7%.
  • The residential stamp duty refund scheme is being extended until the end of 2030 with some enhancements.
  • There will be a three year extension for the income tax deduction for small landlords who retrofit a property

Personal Taxes and Minimum Wage

  • Paschal Donohoe commits to make progressive changes on income tax, but not in this budget
  • The ceiling for the 2% band of USC will increase by 1,318 to 28,700 euro to take account of increased minimum wage.
  • The minimum wage will rise by 65c an hour to €14.15ph.
  • The renters tax credit is being extended to the end of 2028.
  • Mortgage interest relief will extend for a further two years, with a reduced rate in the final year.

1.45pm

Taxation Measures

  • 9% VAT rate cut on gas and energy extended to the end of December 2030.
  • The VAT rate for the food and catering businesses and hairdressing services to reduce to 9% from the 1st of July 2026.
  • The Research and Development tax credit will increase from 30 to 35% and increasing the first year threshold from 75k to 87.5k.
  • The 481 film tax credit will be enhanced to provide a 40% rate for productions with a minimum spend of 1m on relevant visual effects work. Cap of 10m per production.
  • Increase in the gains someone can have under the entrepreneur relief from 1m to 1.5m
  • The Bank Levy is extended by a year with a target yield of 200m
  • Carbon tax rises to 71€ per tonne from tomorrow for auto fuels and other fuels from the 1st of May 2026. Additional revenue is expected to be 121m in 2026 and will be ringfenced for climate projects
  • 50c added to a pack of 20 cigarettes with a pro rata increase on other tobacco products.
  • The farm consolidation relief, farm restructuring relief, and young trained farmer reliefs are extended until the end of 2029

2.00pm

Paschal Donohoe tells the Dáil any budget that attempts to do everything in one go weakens our ability to be safe in a turbulent world.

He commends the budget to the house.

2.15pm

With Minister Donohue having commended the Budget to the Dáil, Minister for Public Expenditure is now on his feet announcing spending measures. More to follow on this.

2.30pm

Overall spending figures.

  • There is to be 12,500 additional public sector staff employed.
  • 19.1bn in capital investment, which is an increase of 2bn on last year.
  • Housing budget of 11.3bn with 7.2bn in capital funding for new social homes, starter homes programme, urban regeneration, housing activation office, 17,000 grants to retrofit older people’s homes.
  • Total of €1.4 billion to Uisce Éireann for water and wastewater services
  • €3.5 billion to ESB and EirGrid for energy security

2.45pm

Social Protection Measures announced:

  • 10 euro per week increase in the social welfare payment for 1.5m people and the social welfare Christmas Bonus for 1.5m people will be paid at a double rate of the normal payment
  • An increase in the carer’s allowance income disregard to 1000 euro for a single person or 2000 euro for a couple.
  • Domiciliary Care Allowance up by 20 euro to 380 per month.
  • Child support payment increase by €8 per week for under 12s and 16 per week for over 12s. Working family payment also rising by 60 euro per week.
  • The back to school clothing and foot ware allowance is being extended to two and three year olds.
  • Fuel allowance will increase by €5 weekly to €38. Eligibility extended to all recipients of the working family payment

3pm

Sport, Justice and Defence

  • 10.7 million increase in budget for sport Ireland. 3m of that will support establishment of League of Ireland football academies.
  • 1,000 trainee gardai in 2026; 200 civilian Gardai; 19 million increase in the garda overtime budget; 39m extra for the prisons service; 11m extra for the courts service.
  • Net increase of 400 defence force members; 50 new civilian posts; 70 critical civil servants including in the area of cyber security; funding for a new Defence Forces Uniform; money for military radar programme, new body armour, armoured personnel carriers and general modernisation.

3.30pm

Education Spending

  • 1,717 additional SNAs in 2026
  • 1,042 extra teaching posts including 860 additional special needs teachers
  • Money to implement the DEIS+ plan
  • Increase in the capitation rates paid to schools by €50 at primary and special and €20 for post primary
  • 500 euro reduction in the student contribution fee
  • The creation of 1,100 new places for studying key health and social care professions.
  • Money for two new veterinary medicine colleges to almost double the number of vet graduates

4pm

Health and Disability.

  • Increase in 220 acute hospital beds and expansion of diagnostic services, 280 community beds an extra 1.7m home support hours, 500 more nursing home places and increased staffing of mental health services.
  • An extra 600m is being allocated for the disability budget.

And that’s it for this live blog on Buget 2026 coverage.

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