Budget to focus on long-term gains at cost of short-term pain
The summer economic statement (SES) will set the stage for this year's
budget
and how much the
Government
is likely to splash out when it comes to spending and
tax
measures.
The revised
National Development Plan
(NDP) will lay out the trajectory for perhaps the next 10 years – and as much as €200 billion – in investment in
housing
, hospitals, roads, rail and schools.
All of this happening at a time of deep economic uncertainty caused by the prospect of a full-scale trade war over
US
president
Donald Trump
's threats of punishing tariffs on goods from the
European Union
.
READ MORE
The messaging from Government Buildings has been clear for some time that the budget giveaways of recent years are a thing of the past.
One-off
cost-of-living
measures are highly unlikely to feature when Minister for Finance
Paschal Donohoe
and Minister for Public Expenditure
Jack Chambers
take to their feet in the Dáil on budget day.
As part of the SES, Cabinet colleagues are set to be put on notice too that they will have to rein in current spending, which has risen as part of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic and other economic shocks.
As The Irish Times
reported last week
, increases in current spending of 8 to 9 per cent in recent years are expected to be reduced significantly, perhaps towards 5 per cent.
This could have implications for budgetary questions such as the increase in welfare rates.
The period leading up to budget day will see intense negotiations as Ministers seek to carve out the biggest possible slice of the pie for their departments amid constraints not present in recent years.
They had practice in recent weeks as they made requests as part of the revision of the NDP.
Departments where allocations were agreed over the weekend include transport – set to get increased funds generally and money earmarked for
MetroLink
– education and defence.
Minister for Housing
James Browne
– who has been awaiting the NDP as he develops the Government's new housing plan – had big asks.
These are not only in terms of funds to help meet housing targets, but also to cover investment in water services to pave the way for home building. There is also the need to fund financial assistance to people with homes affected by defective concrete blocks.
NDP talks on housing were said by one source to have been 'heated', though Mr Chambers sought to play down any tensions during an interview on RTÉ radio on Sunday.
Talks were said to be ongoing as of last night.
There was no confirmation that allocations for health – where negotiations have also gone to the wire – have been agreed yet either.
This week's NDP update will be more focused on the sums involved than specific infrastructure projects to be funded.
Ministers are expected to outline specific programmes and investment as part of the budget.
There is already pressure from the Opposition over the likely elimination of one-off cost-of-living measures, with
Sinn Féin
leader
Mary Lou McDonald
telling the
Dáil
last week that people 'desperately need' help.
The Coalition may well learn if announcements of plans for spending large sums on yet-to-be-delivered infrastructure projects – albeit many of them badly needed – will make up for a lack of energy credits and double welfare payments on budget day in the eyes of the public.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Location of Ireland's newest millionaire announced by EuroMillions bosses
The location of Ireland's newest millionaire has been revealed by the National Lottery after Friday night's EuroMillions Ireland-Only raffle. Lotto bosses have confirmed that the lucky holder of the winning ticket, worth a whopping €1,005,000, hails from Co Sligo. The ticket was purchased online on July 19. The winning raffle ticket number was I-SLF-56168 . A notification and confirmation email has been delivered to the online player, who is advised to make contact with the National Lottery prize claims team on 1800 666 222 or email claims@ to arrange the collection of their prize. Friday night's EuroMillions draw involved a special Ireland-Only raffle event as one player who won €5,000 with their unique raffle ticket number saw an additional €1million added to their prize. The lucky Sligo player marks Ireland's 16th National Lottery millionaire of the year. In other good news, a player in Co Louth secured a life-changing €500,000 after matching all five numbers in Friday's EuroMillions Plus draw. This winning Quick Pick ticket was bought on July 26 from Applegreen, Old Newry Road in Dundalk. The winning numbers in last night's EuroMillions Plus draw were: 4, 5, 15, 16 and 40. Congratulations to the lucky EuroMillions player (Image: National Lottery) There was no winner of the EuroMillions jackpot, which was worth more than €166million, but over 67,000 players won prizes across the EuroMillions and EuroMillions Plus draws. "What a night for our players! We've got a brand-new millionaire in Sligo thanks to the Ireland Only Raffle, and a brilliant €500,000 win in Louth from the EuroMillions Plus draw," said Darragh O'Dwyer, spokesperson for The National Lottery "That's €1.5 million in top tier prizes heading to two counties in one night! We're absolutely thrilled and can't wait to meet our latest winners including Ireland's newest millionaire!" For more of the latest breaking news from the Irish Mirror check out our homepage by clicking here
The Journal
8 hours ago
- The Journal
Here's where Ireland is opening five new embassies and consulates around the world
THE DEPARTMENT OF Foreign Affairs is opening five new embassies and consulates across the world as part of diplomatic missions seeking to expand Ireland's footprint. Embassies will be opening in Belgrade, Serbia as well as Chisinau in Moldova and Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In a statement, Tánaiste Simon Harris said the new embassies show Ireland's 'commitment to EU enlargement', as it takes up the presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2026. 'Our expanded presence in the Western Balkans and Eastern Neighbourhood will reinforce links with countries who look to Ireland as an example of how a country can benefit from, and contribute to, the European Union' The missions will begin operations in the autumn. In addition to the embassies, two new consulates will open – one in Málaga, Spain and one in Melbourne, Australia. Advertisement Consulates are offices that support the embassy in that country. The Tánaiste said these will deliver services to the growing Irish diaspora and holiday makers in both regions. Both are due to become operational in 2026. 'Taken together, and with the mission already opened as part of the Global Ireland strategy, these five new missions will further strengthen Ireland's global presence and influence,' Harris said. Under Global Ireland 2025 – a whole government strategy with the aim of doubling Ireland's influence and footprint – there have been 22 missions opened to date. These include embassies in Kyiv, Rabat, Wellington, Bogotá, Amman, Monrovia, Santiago de Chile, Tehran, Manila, Dakar, and Islamabad. Consulates general have been opened in Vancouver, Mumbai, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Cardiff, Manchester, Lyon, Miami, Toronto, Milan, and Munich. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
9 hours ago
- Irish Times
Ireland's county towns: ‘There were 300 people living on this street. Now it's 17'
The Lyons Café, on Quay Street, has a grand facade unusual for an Irish town, even if it is located in the county town of Sligo , population 20,608 in the 2022 census. Above the cafe entrance is the beautiful and original stained glass canopy, which would have set the tone for a special visit to a special place. The original mosaic spelling out the cafe's name in the porch is also still in situ. 'The Lyons separtment store from dates from the 1850s, and the cafe opened in 1926,' says Gary Stafford, who owns and runs the cafe. 'We'll be having a big centenary celebration next year.' The cafe is located upstairs and now seats 135 people. When it opened first, it hosted dances and dinners. Stafford takes me to the original section of the room, where coloured leaded windows are still in place. He points down at the wooden floor, which looks in amazingly good condition to me. 'This is the original maple floor. It's sprung for dancing. We sand it back every four or five years.' As if all this was not enough time travel, Stafford tells me the cafe chairs are also original. They were imported from the then Czechoslovakia before the second World War. 'A lot of bums have sat on these seats,' as Stafford puts it. It's only a shame there isn't some notice on the wall to inform visitors of these facts about the cafe's history and furniture: everyone loves an origin story. READ MORE 'We have always depended on our local trade,' Stafford adds. He scans the space, saying he recognises most of the customers currently in the cafe, which is almost full. 'We have regulars that come in four times a week.' Lyons is now a daytime business, where the menu changes daily. There is also a bakery on site, downstairs. 'Everything is baked and cooked on site. We have beef featherblade on today.' At Michael Cosgrove's delicatessen on Market Square, there is a framed photograph of the late, magnificent, Leonard Cohen behind the counter, along with a framed playlist of his songs. 'Ah, that's from the concerts he did at Lissadell in 2010,' Cosgrove says. Was Cosgrove there on one of the two nights, I ask. 'There both nights,' he says. 'It was brilliant. Just brilliant.' Stained glass canopy at entrance to Lyons Cafe in Sligo. Photograph: James Connolly Lyons Café owner Gary Stafford. Chairs in the cafe were imported from Czechoslovakia before the second World War. Photograph: James Connolly There's a photo of a dog, a golden doodle, also on prominent display behind the counter. 'What's the dog's name?' I ask. Cosgrove laughs. 'Leonard.' Cosgrove grew up over this shop in the 1970s, at a time when many others were also living on the street. 'There were 300 people living here. Now there are about 17.' What changes has he noticed in Sligo over time? 'I don't like Sligo being misrepresented as a city, It is a county town and should be left as a county town. It's the council who are trying to make out it's a city. It's a county town, and you can't dress it up as a city. Sligo is a market town.' Cosgrove reflects on other changes: 'The disappearance of shops like butchers and grocers and newsagents. The spread of the town outwards. Traffic chaos every day. We are not bypassed. They tried to pedestrianise O'Connell Street some years ago, but it didn't work.' Michael Cosgrove, at Cosgrove and Sons delicatessen, Market Street, Sligo. Photograph: James Connolly O'Connell Street, Sligo. Photograph: James Connolly 'They tried to pedestrianise O'Connell Street some years ago, but it didn't work.' Photograph: James Connolly The days of the shop selling butter or sugar or tea are long gone. The tightly packed shelves contain everything you could possibly think of in the line of preserves and food in jars, tins and packets. Even the most cursory scan of the shelves reveals every kind of dried and canned beans and pulses, a score of different honeys, ranges of mustards, chutneys and pickles, along with items such as jars of curried peaches, Béarnaise sauce and pickled walnuts. 'Our customers are mostly local. If you have good quality stuff, you will always get customers.' His best-sellers are mostly fresh items from the cold counter. 'We cook our own hams and turkeys, pickle our own beef, and sell a lot of cheese.' What would Cosgrove describe as the most exotic item he currently stocks? He thinks for a few seconds, doing an inventory in his head. 'A tin of banana blossoms from Thailand.' He feels there is more that could be made of the town. 'We have a lot of history in Sligo we don't use that we could use. For instance, we have a fabulous Victorian jail [where both Michael Collins and Michael Davitt were incarcerated] that is falling apart. Why hasn't that been renovated as a tourist attraction?' The Yeats Building at Hyde Bridge, Sligo. Photograph: James Connolly Susan O Keeffe, director of the Yeats Society, in the Yeats Building. Photograph: James Connolly One aspect of Sligo town, and the wider county that has long been successfully marketed to tourists, is its connection with the Nobel prize-winning poet, WB Yeats. In fact, the entire county is frequently referred to as 'Yeats Country'. Susan O'Keeffe, journalist and former senator, is the director of the Yeats Society, which has occupied a former bank building at Hyde Bridge in the town centre since 1973. Perhaps surprisingly for a former bank, the building is of a charming arts and crafts design, with its original coloured stained glass windows and panelling throughout. This year marks the 66th anniversary of the Yeats Summer School, which finished yesterday. Some 65 people travelled from China, Japan, India, the US, Germany and other countries for the 10-day event. Does O'Keeffe think the term 'county town' as it refers to Sligo still has a relevance in 2025? 'We learned the names of county towns years ago in geography. County towns back then had a meaning, and were a piece of our history,' she says. 'But I have never heard anyone refer to Sligo as a 'county town' – and nor do I use the term myself. People might say Sligo is the biggest town in the county, which it is; by far the biggest town. I don't think the term 'county town' is still relevant today. Maybe we will forget about it, and it will be something that won't endure.' I ask O'Keeffe what she considers the essence of Sligo town, county town or not. 'Leaning over the Hyde Bridge and watching the swans in the Garavogue river,' she says. 'You see people doing that all the time. You don't even think about it. You are in the middle of the town, and the river is its strength. It flows out of mystical Lough Gill, and right through the heart of Sligo town out through the port and into the great Atlantic Ocean.' A man who knows all about the origins of the Garavogue river is John Carton, who is the harbour master of Sligo port. While many people are aware of Killybegs port further north in Co Donegal, and the port of Galway to the south of Sligo, they may not be aware that Sligo town still has its own, and historic, working port. Harbour master John Carton at Sligo port. Photograph: James Connolly The Glasshouse hotel and Garavogue river. Photograph: James Connolly 'It's been operating since about the 12th century,' Carton explains. We are talking in the foyer of the Glasshouse Hotel, on the banks of the Garavogue. He gestures around the lobby. 'We are currently on the site of the medieval port here,' he says, as I stare around, imagining ships docked in the area where armchairs and sofas are now clustered. Sligo harbour was built in 1822. Carton himself grew up around the area. His father, also John, was the dredge master of the port. 'He gave me the love of the sea and respect of the sea.' For Carton's 10th birthday, his father gave him a 31-foot wooden boat with a sail and an outboard engine, as well as a sense of trust that the young boy would be able to safely manage it. 'Originally, Sligo was trading with Spain, Portugal and up into the Baltics. Back then, Sligo was a bigger settlement than Galway, and a bigger trading town than Galway.' What was being traded? 'Oats, barley and potatoes were going out. Gin, wine and spices were coming in. There were casks of sherry coming in from Portugal. Sligo was also trading with a lot of European ports, and selling some of these things on again.' This back and forth of trading continued all through the 1800s and into the early 20th century, via sailing vessels and steam boats. In addition to goods, many people from the west of Ireland emigrated via Sligo port. During the Famine of the 1840s, thousands sailed for Canada and the US. 'As a child who lived in a port area, you would see lots of different crews coming in over time. It widens your horizons.' He recalls that in the 1970s, Sligo was exporting cattle to Glasgow, Liverpool – and every three weeks – to the unlikely location of Libya. 'That was when Gaddafi was in power,' he says. How many cattle were being exported to Libya in the 1970s from Sligo? 'In enough numbers to justify the journey every three weeks. I've looked at the records, and they just say 'cattle'.' (The port records are stored in the Sligo County Museum.) 'To me, the county town is the town that is the focus of your county, and that's what Sligo is. We were a port town first, and then the railway came afterwards to connect us.' Sligo port remains a working port. 'We export fish meal, and logs to make paper. The fishmeal is processed in Killybegs and goes to Norway, Greece, and the UK. Timber goes to Scotland, Germany and Belgium.' A paper log is still maintained for all ships that come in and out of Sligo. The average number of ships into harbour a year has been 20 in recent years, but by the time I talk to Carton in early July, that number has already been exceeded. 'It'll be more like 40 this year,' he says. Could more be made of the port in terms of tourism or leisure? 'A lot of Irish towns had turned their back on the water, but now that is now changing. There are plans to build a marina at Rosses Point, so we will see what happens.' [ The ancient Irish town battling against decline: 'It used to be the centre of things, but those days are gone now' Opens in new window ] Later that evening. I find myself crossing the Hyde Bridge. It's raining. Even so, I stop for a couple of minutes, lean on the bridge and listen to the rushing waters of the Garavogue river sweeping underneath, as if unseen creatures are urgently calling to each other as they pass by. If towns have distinctive sounds, this is what Sligo sounds like, and always has. Next week: Rosita Boland visits Clonmel
