BUDGET 2025 PLEDGES multiple supports for families with double Child Benefit payments and a €420 ‘baby boost’ payment for the birth of a child.

Free access to public transport will also be available for children aged five to eight, with free school books initiative also being extended to all senior-cycle pupils.

Single people with no families might ask, what’s in this budget for me?

The Journal put that question to Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe today, who defended the budget, stating that there are measures for that cohort of people.

Minister Paschal Donohoe responds to criticism that there's not much in the Budget for single people, those who don't have children and those who don't own their own home. #Budget2025 pic.twitter.com/BHUxqJ1mcC

— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) October 1, 2024

He said the increase in the Rent Credit to €1,000 for next year and increasing it by €250 for this year “is going up to help those with the cost of renting and if they’re working they are going to benefit from the tax changes we are making in personal taxation”.

The Standard Rate Cut Off point for PAYE workers has been increased by €2,000 to €44,000, with proportionate increases for married couples and civil partners.

The middle rate of USC has been cut from 4% to 3%, with the entry level increasing by €1,622 to €27,382.

“If you’re a single person on the average wage in our country we are getting closer and closer to the point that you are no longer paying the higher rate of tax on that income,” said Donohoe.

Taoiseach Simon Harris has said his party wants the threshold to pay the higher rate in tax to be €50,000, stating that his will be in the party’s election manifesto.

“So those kind of changes will benefit those kind of workers and citizens,” he added.