The Irish government presents its 2023 budget on Tuesday with a new package of measures to tackle the rising cost of living and, in particular, energy prices. The urgency of acting against inflation and its consequences for households and companies has also led the Minister of Finance, Paschal Donohoe, to bring forward his presentation in relation to the deadline set later, in October.
Inflation still reached 8.7% in August in Ireland, which, like the rest of Europe, is suffering from the consequences of the war in Ukraine. Electricity and gas bills will rise sharply on October 1, according to announcements made in recent weeks by energy providers.
2 to 3 billion euros
After having already put 6,700 million euros on the table this summer, the new measures to support the economy should reach between 2,000 and 3,000 million euros, according to local media. This budget “will return money to the pockets of the people”, but without resorting excessively to the coffers of the State, defended Paschal Donohoe on Saturday.
In addition to the war in Ukraine and its aftermath, Ireland continues to face uncertainties related to the Covid-19 pandemic and the aftermath of Brexit.
An exceptional tax on energy groups
The Irish government also intends to introduce an exceptional tax on energy groups, like several other European states. They are “principe” est acté et cela “fera partie du budget”, to affirm my-September the vice-Premier minister, Leo Varadkar, who will become Premier minister in December dans le cadre du système de rotation en vigueur au sein de la coalition au can.
On the other hand, Paschal Donohoe rejected the idea of freezing the price of energy, which would amount to “asking taxpayers to bear the cost (of such a measure) on the basis of a currently uncertain price.”
Source: BFM TV
