Budget 2027 will be delivered on 6 October. The government has set a spending ceiling and flagged priorities — income tax cuts, a new personal investment account, cheaper childcare and questions over the carbon tax — but many details remain undecided.
The government set a 2027 spending ceiling of €125.5 billion and plans an €8.5 billion package: €7 billion extra public spending plus €1.5 billion in tax measures.
Childcare cost reductions and the future path of carbon tax increases are unresolved political issues heading into the budget.
Budget 2027 is scheduled for 6 October. The government has published headline numbers and ministers have signalled priorities, but many measures are still under negotiation. Finance Minister Simon Harris will present the budget alongside Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers.
The overall government expenditure ceiling for 2027 is €125.5 billion. That is split into €105.2 billion current spending and €20.3 billion capital spending. The new budget package being prepared totals €8.5 billion: €7 billion of additional public spending and €1.5 billion in tax measures. The draft represents a 5.9% increase in public spending compared with the previous year.
Government priorities stated so far
The government has said its theme for the budget is "making work pay." Public service improvements, infrastructure that aims to boost competitiveness, and investments in the Future Ireland Fund are named priorities. The Future Ireland Fund was set up in 2024 to help manage future costs such as climate and demographic pressures.
Harris has committed to introducing personal investment accounts. Known details: there will be a tax-free threshold and a low flat annual tax on balances or returns above that threshold. The controversial 38% deemed disposal tax rate will not apply to funds in these accounts. Harris has said he will review the deemed disposal rules more broadly in the weeks ahead.
Reducing childcare costs is listed as a lever to support households. The government's long-term aim is to reduce fees to a maximum of €200 per month per child as part of a phased five-year plan. How much Budget 2027 will move those fees toward that target has not been set out in detail.
Carbon tax and energy-related choices
There are active debates within government about the carbon tax. Reports have suggested a possible slowdown of scheduled increases, but the Taoiseach has indicated the planned rises were built into government spending. Harris has said the carbon tax was set before "two massive global shocks" (the war in Ukraine and the Middle East), and the government needs to reconsider in that context. Negotiations continue.
Housing Minister James Browne is reported to favour increasing the rent tax credit (currently up to €1,000 annually). Discussions about Help to Buy adjustments continue but the Department of Housing fears major changes could push up house prices. Simon Harris has ruled out changes to stamp duty for first-time buyers.
Many headline commitments are directional rather than final. Key unresolved items include the exact income tax changes and their fiscal cost, the specifics of how far childcare fees will be reduced in 2027, any carbon tax timetable adjustments, and the final mix of spending and tax measures within the €8.5 billion package.
Expect full detail when the Finance Minister and Minister for Public Expenditure present the budget to Dáil Éireann on Tuesday 6 October.
With just weeks to go until Budget 2027 is announced, there have been some major indications from Government Ministers about what to expect
With Budget 2027 less than two weeks away, RTÉ's Economics and Public Affairs Editor David Murphy details what changes people can watch out for ahead of 6 October.
With Budget 2027 just over a week away, the political battle is already being fought over how announcements will be framed. From energy and housing to tax and welfare, Fiachra Ó Cionnaith looks at how the Government and Opposition are preparing competing narratives about what the public can expect.
As happens every year, large parts of the government’s spending plans have been leaked to the Dutch press. Here is...
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael ministers were dropping budget hints all over the place this week.
Fort Worth City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2027 budget Tuesday evening. This year’s budget is shaped by an increase in population growth, with the City’s population now exceeding 1 million, and by the deteriorating property tax landscape locally and across Texas. The approved operating budget is $3.33 billion, an
Loading more related stories...
Open the app view to save this story, compare related coverage, and continue from the same source.