Ireland's Budget 2027 includes an increase to the help-to-buy scheme and a rise in the age limit for free contraception, according to The Irish Times. The measures were announced as part of the government's annual budget package published on Tuesday.
The same budget raises the State pension and Jobseekers' payments by €10 per week from next year, The Journal reports. RTÉ.ie has published an at-a-glance summary of the key takeaways from the announcements.
Coverage of the budget has focused on who gains and who loses from the measures. The Irish Independent examined the winners and losers from this year's announcements, while The Irish Times carried analysis from Conor Pope describing the budget as "Schrödinger's budget" — in his words, simultaneously generous and mean.
The reporting above does not specify the size of the help-to-buy increase, the new age threshold for free contraception, or the full list of measures in the package. Those details were not available in the source material.
Budget 2027 covers a wide range of areas, with the help-to-buy scheme aimed at supporting home buyers and the contraception measure affecting eligibility for free access based on age. The €10 weekly rise applies to both the State pension and Jobseekers' payments, according to The Journal.
The budget's reception has been mixed, with analysis pointing to both gains and losses across different groups. Further details on the individual measures, including exact figures and eligibility rules, are expected to emerge as the government publishes the full documentation.
What to watch next: the publication of detailed budget documents confirming the exact value of the help-to-buy increase and the new age limit for free contraception.
