Donohoe announces €1.5bn in tax cuts for Budget 2026 but says figures are based on ‘a no-tariff scenario'
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RTÉ News
7 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Government to review work permit occupations lists
The Government has announced the opening of a consultation period to allow stakeholders make submissions on the work permit occupations lists. The Critical Skills Occupations List consists of jobs that are in short supply in Ireland and across the European Economic Area (EEA) including roles in areas such as medicine, ICT, sciences, finance and business. The Ineligible Occupations List consists of occupations for which there is an adequate supply of labour and skills, and for which an employment permit will not be issued. The last review of the occupations lists took place in 2023, and resulted in 11 additional roles being placed on the Critical Skills Occupations List, and 32 roles being made eligible for a General Employment Permit. As part of the review process, submissions are sought from employers, representative bodies, Government departments, agencies, and other interested parties relating to occupations currently included on or absent from the lists. "At a time of full employment, with over 2.81 million people at work, and with 90,000 new jobs created in the last year, it is vital that we continue to have a strong and flexible employment permits system to allow non-EEA nationals to fill the skill and labour gaps we cannot access in Ireland or Europe and to ensure our economy remains competitive," Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment said. "As demonstrated by the changes made to the employment permit system over the last year, the system is responsive to the needs of the sectors and industries it serves," he added. Alan Dillon, Minister of State for Small Business, Retail and Employment, said that non-EEA nationals that fill skills and labour gaps in the domestic economy are a vital part of the Irish economy. "Where employers or stakeholders are facing challenges in recruiting a specific occupation and believe it should be eligible for an employment permit, or believe a certain occupation should move onto the critical skills list, now is their opportunity to share this feedback," Mr Dillon said. Submissions will be accepted through an online consultation form on the Department of Enterprise website and will be open until 19 September.
The Journal
9 hours ago
- The Journal
Metrolink gets €2 billion funding boost - but no one knows what the final cost will be yet
THE METROLINK PROJECT is set to get a €2 billion boost in funding under the National Development Plan (NDP) – but the full cost of the long-planned underground rail line is not yet known. The plan, which was announced by the Government this afternoon , sets out what large-scale infrastructure projects Ireland needs over the next five to ten years. It details plans to invest €24.33 billion in transport between next year and 2030. Of this, €2 billion will come from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund (ICNF). The government said this funding is being allocated to support the development of 'low-carbon transportation' projects such as the MetroLink 'before 2030″. According to the plan, the government has decided to fund the proposed Dublin rail link using the ICNF due to the 'unique scale' of Metrolink, which it said will allow 'the ambitious pipeline of other public transport projects'. The Metrolink, which is the single biggest public transport project in the history of the State, will have 16 stations running from Swords to Charlemont and is estimated to carry 53 million passengers annually. The 18.8km route will have an end-to-end journey time of 25 minutes and serve residential areas including Ballymun and Glasnevin, as well as the City Centre and Dublin Airport, and will link to Irish Rail, Luas and bus services. Speaking this afternoon, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that today's funding announcement was 'a very definitive commitment to the metro'. He said that while the actual cost of the project will be 'very, very substantial', the coalition is very clear that is has to be built 'for the future of the country'. 'If you look at the expansion of Dublin, if you look at it over 20 to 30 year period, there will be continued growth in population in Dublin. I don't think you could sustain Dublin without a metro,' he said. The Metrolink will have 16 stations running from Swords to Charlemont. Metrolink Metrolink In a later press conference, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe indicated that the most recent costing for delivering the Metrolink is around €11 billion. He said the reason why an exact estimate for the cost of the project cannot be given is that there is now a procurement process due to commence. 'I'm not going to indicate what we believe the final cost will be until the procurement process is complete,' he said, stating that to do so beforehand could influence the value for money aspect of 'what it is a very, very big project'. The point was made to the minister that the public might find it hard to believe that the Metrolink will be delivered when there have been so many promises made about it over the last decade. Advertisement Donohoe accepted the point, but added that much of those decisions were influenced by the aftermath of global financial crisis, when capital investments was at a very low level. 'We tried to rebuild it, but it did take time, and we weren't able to give confidence regarding the money that would be available for projects like the Metrolink,' he said. 'There's only a very small number of projects that the government has given a particular commitment to and they are mega projects. They're in water and they're in transport. The main project that we are giving a commitment to up front is the mega project of the Metrolink. Planning An underground rail line for Dublin was first proposed in a government plan in 2005, but was shelved for several years during the recession. Cabinet approved a refreshed plan for the Metrolink in July 2022, with a planning application submitted to An Bord Pleanála that September. The current route of the Dublin Metrolink. Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) lodged a Draft Railway Order seeking permission for the project in 2023 and received 318 submissions in response. An Bord Pleanála – now called An Coimisiún Pleanála – held oral hearings to facilitate third parties expressing their concerns around the project early last year. During these hearings, further documentation was submitted, which resulted in a second public consultation process being held from August to October last year. A decision on whether to grant planning permission is now awaited from An Coimisiún Pleanála, with the Irish Times reporting on Saturday that the decision is due before the end of the summer. It's now expected that construction may not begin until at least 2028 . In 2021, the Metrolink was estimated to cost between €7 billion and €12 billion. Sean Sweeney, the director of Metrolink, told an Oireachtas committee in May that that estimate 'is going to change'. Speaking to RTÉ News this week, Sweeney said that the full cost of the project will not be clear until 2027 until tenders for the project are received. Asked today why people should believe the government when some €300 million has already been spent on the project and building has yet to commence, the Taoiseach said this money was spent on 'preparation' for the project. Artist interpretation of the underground station at Tara Street on the Northside of the city. 'You just don't go to a planning commission without substantial investment, ' Micheál Martin said. He said these are 'enormous projects' which demand a lot of allocation in terms of the work that goes into planning, designing the route and preparing a planning application, adding: 'So actually, I would take the €300 million as evidence of our commitment to building the Metro.' Related Reads Construction of MetroLink project may not begin until 2028, transport committee to hear Ireland is wasting a golden Green Line opportunity to appease misguided south Dublin fears 'I had death threats': MetroLink boss foresees pushback but also huge benefits in store Martin was also asked if the projects planned for in the NDP would go ahead if there is an economic slowdown, particularly as a result of US President Donald Trump's 30% tariff threat. The Taoiseach said that the international investment community is needed for projects at the scale of the Metrolink. 'They need to realise that we're going the full distance on the capital, and we will take measures if we have to, obviously, to meet the impacts of tariffs. But we are very clearly signaling that, unlike previous times, we want to protect the capital side of the equation.' Asked again if the spending would take a hit, he added: 'Current spending will be under pressure if such a situation was to emerge.' Reaction Fianna Fáil Senator for Dublin Fingal West Lorraine Clifford Lee said today's funding commitment of €2 billion is 'a statement of intent' from the government for a project that she said is 'essential' to meet the needs of a growing population. She said there has been an explosion in population in north County Dublin, in areas such as Balbriggan, Rush, Lusk and Swords, which infrastructure has not kept up with. 'There's always a chorus ready to kill a big idea before it starts, but we cannot base national planning on unverified cost fears,' she said. 'Final costs for Metrolink will come through the tendering process, and that's still to come. Let's be clear: this is a transformational project, and its long-term value far outweighs the short-term noise.' €2bn for Metrolink is hardly a vote of confidence that the project will be substantively progressed in this decade. It's supposed to take 6 years & be operational in early 2030's. €2bn is only 8%- 16% of the estimated total cost. #Metrolink — Marie Sherlock TD (@marie_sherlock) July 22, 2025 Fine Gael TD for Dublin North West Grace Boland also welcomed the ringfenced funding for the Metrolink, which she said is 'essential to get the project off the ground and marks a significant step forward'. However, Labour's transport spokesperson Ciarán Ahern said the €2 billion 'does not represent the scale or urgency required to deliver the long-awaited rail project for Dublin'. 'Metrolink is supposed to be the country's flagship public transport project and €2 billion is no small sum, but in the context of the overall cost of the project, it's nowhere near enough. We're talking about a fraction of what's actually required to see this project through,' he said. Ahern added that it is 'long past time that the sod was turned on Metrolink' and called on the government to commit the full funding required for the project. Sinn Féin's transport spokesperson Louise O'Hara meanwhile said the fact that the plan made funding commitments to the Metrolink but failed to mention any specific projects in the western and northern region is 'deeply disappointing'. With reporting from Christina Finn 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
10 hours ago
- Irish Times
Ireland's latest investment plan: A sceptic's guide
How do we make sense of all the billions announced in new State investment spending ? The key message is that the Government is going for it in terms of the sums it is committing – and this has big consequences. By doing so it is responding to economic growth and population increases, which have been well in advance of expectations. Here is how the numbers add up and the questions they raise. Where the money comes from : The State has allocated an additional €34 billion to its investment plans over the five years from 2026 to 2030. This is a big increase, with the overall total coming to just over €102 billion. About €20 billion of the extra cash is due to come from what might be called cash reserves – the €14 billion from the Apple tax payment, €2.5 billion from the sale of AIB shares and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund established by the Government. This still leaves a gap to be paid for, however, and this will be met by running down budget surpluses in the years ahead. There is also a commitment to tighter control of day-to-day spending to leave more cash for investment, though an increase of 6.4 per cent is pencilled in again here next year. Tariffs: Why has Donald Trump threatened the EU again? Listen | 47:35 The State will run down a lot of its financial leeway. Already the Department of Finance is facing a smaller budget surplus year than forecast in springtime. The budget sums will come under further pressure if economic growth slows sharply. Where the money will be spent : The Government announced the overall spending allocations, but not the list of projects involved, though some of the big ones, including the Dublin MetroLink , are known. As ESRI professor Alan Barrett said on RTÉ radio, the normal approach in a National Development Plan (NDP) is to start with population and growth projections and then develop a list of projects that are based on this and outline how they relate to each other. Instead, departments are now to come up with their own priorities. The list should be published around budget time, we are told, but with the review well flagged for months, it seems a lot of last-minute haggling means it has not yet happened. As Taoiseach Micheál Martin said, previous NDPs might have been too long. But this one, right now, looks a bit flimsy. Surviving a downturn : Taoiseach Micheál Martin said at the press conference launching the strategy that the goal is to keep investing, even if the economy slows or hits difficulties. Slashing investment spending after the financial crash has had a big economic cost for the Republic. But with no details of the expected budget position next year – never mind in subsequent years – published in the summer economic statement, the other key document published on Tuesday, we have no feeling for how the Department of Finance sees all the numbers adding up. Budget surpluses will be smaller, it says, but we do not know by how much. We are not clear on the appetite to borrow to fund investment in the years ahead if the corporate tax take takes a heavy hit. In fairness, the Government will want to see the outcome of the EU-US tariff talks, which have big implications. If there is a bad outcome, we are told the €9.4 billion budget will be pulled back. That would be the acid test of where priorities lie. Delivering the projects : Senior Ministers spoke at length at the NDP launch about the barriers to delivery from planning and bureaucracy. This raises the obvious question of why they did not do much about them when they were in government last time around, including the multiphase approval processes for local authority housing, for example. A new Planning Act was passed, but only in the dying days of the last coalition. The fiscal council has noted that the State has consistently struggled to meet investment spending targets in recent years. And, as the document states, finding construction workers is a challenge. Now Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers is examining recommendations from an expert group on the delivery issue, and some important moves are on the table. Succeeding here is central to its plans and rebuilding credibility on project delivery.
