LAST UPDATE | 8 Sep 2025

Christina Finn reports from Westmeath

DELIVERING “PERMANENT” relief for working families by “cutting their costs” is a priority for Fine Gael in the upcoming Budget, party leader and Tánaiste Simon Harris is set to tell his parliamentary party in Mullingar today. 

For the next two days, the party will hold its annual think-in in County Westmeath where Budget 2026, housing, infrastructure, in particular health infrastructure, children’s disability services and special education are expected to be on the agenda.

One of the main priorities for the forthcoming Budget is set to be reducing costs for families and improving access to services with Harris expected to tell colleagues:

“This is the first Budget of the new government and it must show our intent, it must show our values; protecting our economy, protecting jobs, building homes and infrastructure, delivering for working families and helping our carers, disabled people, older people and those most in need.”

Despite countless households across the country struggling with the rising cost of living, the government has held firm on its line that there will be no cost-of-living measures as seen in previous budgets, which included energy credits for every household in the country. 

The Tánaiste will state at his party’s think-in that the Budget cannot deliver everything in one year, but it will show the direction of travel for carers, childcare and child poverty.

Threats made against Harris

This year’s party think-in takes place after threats were made in recent days against Harris and his family. Yesterday, multiple bomb threats against the Co Wicklow home of the Tánaiste were phoned in to garda stations, The Journal understands.

The threats made against Harris and his family follow two other reported threats, both made against members of the Tánaiste’s family online.

Over the weekend, Harris condemned the “vile and horrific threats” made against his “close family member” on Friday night.

In a statement issued on Saturday, he said threats against his family are having “deeply distressing consequences” and follow a “sinister” pattern with the motivation to intimidate him from public office.

Harris said that over the coming days and weeks he will consult with his party, government, and broader political colleagues about what action can be taken in the face of online intimidation.

“Someone has to call a halt. Protecting my family will remain my number one priority. I will be guided by them on the next steps,” he concluded in his statement. 

Sinn Féin party think-in 

While the Fine Gael party will gather in Mullingar, the Sinn Féin parliamentary party will also be holding its party think-in in Dun Laoghaire today.  

All eyes are on Mary Lou McDonald and the decision the party is yet to make about the presidential election. 

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Speaking to The Journal at the end of last month, the party leader said the final decision will be made by the party’s Ard Chomhairle when it meets on 20 September.  

Despite the party leader definitively saying six months ago that she would not be her party’s presidential candidate, just weeks out from the election, were different with McDonald giving mixed messages on what her intentions are. 

However, in a radio interview ahead of the think-in this morning McDonald definitively ruled herself out of the running and said the party was continuing to consider its options.

Yesterday’s Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks has shown that if there is a possible four-way contest which included the Sinn Féin leader in the race, Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys would still maintain the lead on 19%.

Fianna Fáil’s possible candidate Jim Gavin (if approved by the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party tomorrow) would stand at 18%, while McDonald, if she were to run, would hold 17%, according to the poll.

This would significantly eat into Independent Catherine Connolly’s poll ratings, putting her back at 14%.