BUDGET 2023 MAIN POINTS

COST OF LIVING

■ €600 off electricity bills in three instalments in the coming months.

■ A double child benefit payment on November 1

■ €400 for Fuel Allowance recipients before Christmas.

■ Two double payments of weekly social welfare by the end of the year.

■ The Fuel Allowance scheme to be extended to up to 80,000 people.

■ Businesses can claim up to €10,000 per month for energy bills.

HEALTH

■ An additional 360,000 people eligible for medical card.

■ 70,000 children aged six and seven eligible for free doctors’ visits.

■ €10million for IVF fertility treatment; extension of free contraception for women aged 16-30

EDUCATION

■ €860million for building schools and other capital projects.

■ An extra 686 teachers.

■ Free school books for primary pupils.

TAX

■ The personal tax credit will increase by €75 from €1,700 to €1,775.

■ The top tax rate of 40% will apply only to those earning above €40,000 a year.

■ These tax changes are set to save single people around €800 a year and couples €1,600.

PENSIONS

■ A double payment of the €253-a-week State pension will be paid twice in the coming months.

■ Pensioners to get an €1,100 once-off payment before the end of the year.

■ Living Alone Allowance recipients will receive an extra €200 payment.

HOUSING

■ An annual tax credit for renters worth €500 a year, backdated for 2022.

■ A vacant homes tax for homes occupied for less than 30 days a year.

ALCOHOL AND CIGARETTES

■ Cigarettes will cost an extra 50c from midnight last night – now at €15.50 for pack of 20.

■ No alcohol price increase.

AGRICULTURE

■ A new €28m suckler scheme (not affecting the EU’s €150-per-cow Suckler Carbon Efficiency Scheme).

■ €1,000 to save hay and fodder in 2023.

■ 30,000 places in an anti-global warming Agri-climate Rural Environmental Scheme.

■ Capital funding to support the Irish biomethane industry, which harvests gas from dead animals, plants, manure, sewage, organic waste etc.