Category: Press Release

Changes to income tax which are due to kick in from today  (Jan 1^st) will put more money back into peoples’ pockets and ease cost of living pressures.

Furth cuts to tax and USC will mean individuals in Dundrum will keep more of their hard-earned cash, while social protection payments due to be paid in January will assist households with the cost of living.

Last October, a personal income tax package to the value of €1.3 billion, as part of Budget 2024, was announced by my colleague Minister Paschal Donohoe.

The aim of this package is to ensure we all take home more of our income, pay the higher rate of tax at a later point and that workers earning the minimum wage remain outside the higher rates of USC.

The main changes will see an increase of €2,000 in the income tax standard rate band cut-off point, going from  €40,000 to €42,000 for single people, from €49,000 to €51,000 for married couples or civil partners with one or two incomes, and an increase from €31,000 to €33,000 for the maximum increase in the rate band for two income couples.

The main personal tax credits (Personal, Employee and Earned Income) will also rise by €100 from €1,775 to €1,875.

Government is also providing for an increase in the ceiling for the 2% rate of USC of €2,840 from €22,920 to €25,760. The increase in the 2% rate band ceiling will ensure a full-time adult worker in who benefits from the increase in the hourly minimum wage rate from €11.30 to €12.70 will remain outside the top rates of USC.

Overall, this tax package is worth €813 on the average wage, and when combined with the universal energy credit, equates to over €1,000 back in their pockets.

We have always believed people pay too much tax on their hard-earned income and for that reason, Fine Gael in Government has led the way in cutting income tax and USC.

It will also mean households in Dundrum are further protected from cost of living pressures , alongside a range of other measures to help families and individuals pay the bills.

An increase of €100 in the Home Carer Tax Credit will also come into effect from tomorrow, bringing it from €1,700 to €1,800.”

The Social Welfare package of €2.3bn delivered by my colleague, Heather Humphreys, TD, in October, was the largest in the history of the State.

I am pleased that from January, there will be €12 increases in weekly social welfare payments to recipients including pensioners, carers and those with disabilities. A double cost of living payment will also be made on the week commencing January 29^th, which will benefit 1.3 million people.

Inflation is thankfully decreasing, and it is expected to reduce again in 2024 to 2.9%. Nevertheless, we know people and families are finding it hard to pay the bills due to ongoing cost of living challenges, so these measures coming just into the New Year  will provide further assistance.

Fine Gael Local Election Candidate for Dundrum, Eoin O’Driscoll has called on all women aged 17 to 30 to access the Government’s Free Contraception Scheme.  Nationally, more than 150,000 women aged 17-26 have accessed the scheme since it was introduced.  In September, it was further expanded to include women aged 27 to 30, and will be further expanded to women aged 31 on the 1^st January 2024.

Figures for the first 8 months of this year show that demand for the service has been highest among those aged 18 to 21.

“This scheme has been championed by Fine Gael in Government, including by Simon Harris as Minister for Health. I am delighted to see such a high uptake.  It covers the cost of consultations with GPs, part family planning, student health and primary care centres and prescriptions for the wide range of contraceptive options available.  It also covers the cost of prescriptions, as well as fitting, checks and removal of long-acting reversible contraception devices.

“We know that the most appropriate contraception isn’t always the cheapest, and this scheme ensures that women can choose the method of contraception that is most suited to their needs and circumstances, in consultation with their GP or medical professional, giving more women the freedom to control their reproductive health without any financial barriers.  

“For more information, you can check out the HSE-run sexualwellbeing.ie.”

The introduction of new criminal offences and changes to sentencing demonstrate Fine Gael’s commitment to keeping communities safe, a Fine Gael local election candidate for Dundrum Eoin O’Driscoll has said.

Eoin O’Driscoll said: “My colleague, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, has announced a range of new criminal offences, as well as tougher sentences for existing offences, under the Criminal Justice Act (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2023.

“This landmark legislation will target violent and organised crime, and violence against gardaí and other emergency service workers.

“This legislation will allow the maximum sentence for assault causing harm in domestic abuse cases, as well as in other assaults, increasing from five to 10 years.

“The scope of the existing harassment offence is widened to include any conduct that seriously interferes with a person’s peace and privacy, or causes alarm, distress, or harm.

“It will also create a new standalone offence of stalking, which will have a maximum sentence of up to 10 years.

“These new laws and tougher sentences will reassure residents in Dundrum and throughout the country that the Government is working towards making our communities safer.

“Gardaí and emergency workers can also be reassured with the introduction of new provisions that ensure better protections. The maximum sentence for assaulting or threatening to assault a garda or other on-duty emergency worker is increasing from 7 to 12 years.

“These changes will provide the courts with a tougher range of sentences to take account of the severity of assaults and sends a message that these crimes will not be tolerated.

“I am delighted to see these common-sense measures being introduced which will enhance the powers of our courts and protect communities.

“Fine Gael has made stronger, safer communities a key priority, along with ensuring the safety of Gardaí and all other frontline workers on duty”, Eoin O’Driscoll concluded.