Brexit, carbon tax and record health spending are the talking points of Budget 2020.
Paschal Donohoe announced 1.2 billion euro in spending to protect the country against a possible no-deal Brexit.
Carbon tax is going up which will mean more expensive petrol, diesel and other fuels.
700 new gardaí will be recruited.
There will be free dental care for under sixes and free GP care for under eights.
The stamp duty on commercial property is also set to rise.
** **
Carbon tax to rise by €6, from €20 per tonne to €26, meaning petrol and diesel will increase from midnight tonight.
The threshold for medical card income for people over the age of 70 will increase by €50 for one person or €150 for a couple.
Prescription charges for over-70s cut by 50c, to €1.
Free dental care for under sixes and free GP care for under eights, delayed to September 2020.
Cap on a family’s monthly drugs payment scheme reduced by €10, to €114.
The help-to-buy scheme will be extended until 2021.
€1.1bn will support the building of 11,000 social houses in 2020, and a further 12,000 will be built in 2021.
The price of a packet of 20 cigarettes is to go up by 50c from midnight.
The Department of Finance has published an explainer document covering today’s Budget: ‘A Citizen’s Guide to Budget 2020’.
