‘Blue tack budget’ will come unstuck and fail working families says Independent Ireland’s finance spokesman

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

The Government has been accused of creating a “blue-tack Budget” which will come unstuck and fail the people of Ireland.

Independent Ireland Finance and Enterprise spokesman Michael Sheehan said the lack of a cogent vision for the Budget is undermining confidence among households, businesses and investors at a time when Ireland needs “certainty, leadership and a clear economic direction”.

“Every day we hear another announcement about what a minister intends to change, only for it to be followed by a watered-down version of what the Government might actually do,” said the New Ross councillor.

“This is not leadership. It is confusion. At a time of global uncertainty, Ireland needs clear, unambiguous and forward-looking decisions — not a rolling series of trial balloons, kite flying and political retreats.”

Cllr Sheehan said recent discussion around income tax, inheritance tax, the universal social charge (USC), first-time buyer supports, housing measures, cost-of-living targets and special investment accounts had left people struggling to understand what the Government’s actual strategy is.

“Businesses cannot invest with confidence when they do not know what the Government is planning. Families cannot make major financial decisions when the rules keep changing. People cannot plan for their future when ministers themselves appear unable to give a consistent account of what is coming.”

Mr Sheehan said the Government’s approach appeared increasingly focused on managing disagreements within its own ranks rather than setting out a coherent national economic strategy.

“Public spending continues to run ahead of budget. We are already approaching €2bn in overspending in health and education alone this year. If we continue to under-budget, overspend and fail to impose proper controls, we will once again be looking to the taxpayer to pick up the bill.”

Outlining the areas which need to be prioritised on October 6, Cllr Sheehan said Budget 2027 must focus on reducing the cost-of-living burden on households, addressing taxation levels on working families, and delivering housing that young people can realistically afford.

“Ireland is a fantastically wealthy country,” he said. “We should be putting that wealth to work for the nation and ensuring that the next generation has a genuine opportunity to build a future here.

“But a Budget process held together with blue tack will eventually become unstuck. The more the Government stretches, pulls and patches its plans to accommodate internal political pressures, the less confidence there will be in the final product.”