How to watch Budget 2021 live

 

The Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe is about to take to his feet in the Dáil to outline Budget 2021.
It will be the biggest budget in the history of the state as the government borrows millions to meet the cost of COVID and Brexit.
There are a few areas where people will notice a direct impact.
Firstly income tax rates are not going to change either up or down in this budget.
But there are a number of areas that will hit your pocket, namely around motoring.
A 7.50 a tonne increase in carbon tax will hike the cost of fuel.
Filling a tank of diesel will cost about 1.50 more, a tank of petrol 1.30.
There will be 90c extra on a bag of coal, 20c on a bale of briquettes, and home heating oil is set to increase.
This will be offset for the most vulnerable by increases in the living alone allowance and the fuel allowance.
Changes to VRT will make buying a polluting car more expensive, and changes to motor tax will mean those with older or more polluting cars will end up paying somewhere between 10 and 50 euro more a year.
Though 90% of people will not be impacted by the motor tax changes.
Full time Third level students will all be given a 250 euro cash sum by the government to help them this year.
And the cost of a pack of cigarettes will go up 50c, but alcohol will be left unchanged.
In short if you smoke and drive a big, old car this budget will cost you.
But the reality is that despite this being the largest budget in the history of the state, it won’t produce a massive change for most people.
Something that emphasises the cost of just standing still in a COVID stricken world.
You can watch Budget 2021 being announced live here:
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachtas-tv/dail-eireann-live/