Cork reacts to Budget 26: ‘My son is struggling and there was nothing of use for him’

What did Cork people make of Budget 26?

Well, “not a lot” it seems, as one member of the public told The Echo.

There have been mixed reactions to Budget 2026 since its announcement on Tuesday afternoon.

Minister for finance Paschal Donohoe and minister for public expenditure Jack Chambers both addressed the Dáil after 1pm.

Mr Donohoe said the budget will “invest in our future while securing the jobs, prosperity and stability of today”.

However, some shoppers on Oliver Plunkett St did not seem convinced, with many saying that the announcements did not represent the future of Ireland’s young people.

Armand Vilks from Grange had said that there was “not a lot” for him or people his age and that most of his peers do not tune in to the annual budget because they feel that they will not be represented.

Others, including Monika Lojack from St Luke’s, and Mary Galvin from Beaumont, expressed concern for their own children following, what they called, a “failure to address the housing crisis”.

“We have this terrible housing crisis. I think it is a mess. I don’t know how to fix it, but that is not my job, it is theirs,” she said.

“My own son is struggling and there was nothing of use for him and his partner.

“Comparing Ireland to other European countries, you hear people here talk often about how we are super rich in comparison, but if you really loos at it, we are really poor.

“We have so many closed up buildings, tourists visit and ask where are the parks, the trees, the seating areas? What are they spending the money on?”

Ms Galvin also compared how the Irish Government is dealing with the issue of housing compared to other countries.

“Giving money or rebates to the developers is not the way you solve this issue because those benefits rarely trickle down to the everyday man. If you look at the Scandinavian states, they have a much more equitable situation going on. There is surely a much better way of dealing with it instead of offloading their responsibilities.

Dolan Conlan summed up the sentiments of many, saying: “We are all feeling the pinch”.

“There was nothing in it for me accept I now don’t have money off from the energy credit,” he said.

Donal Conlon, Dennehy’s Cross.

“We were told there was plenty of money in the bank, but we got nothing out of it. Where did it all go? I’m retired, I’ve lost my fuel allowance. I’m drawing the pension, and an extra tenner a month? It’s laughable. Everyone is feeling the pinch. It has really put me off ever voting for Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael again I reckon.”

Monika Lojack, St Luke’s

"I look at the younger people of Ireland and I feel sympathy. There was once a time where they would say, Ireland is not a country for old people, I remember people talked about life in the fast lane but nowadays, Ireland is not a country for young people either. So, who is it for? I have a son, who can’t afford to rent, and he can’t afford a mortgage, so he is trapped, like a lot of young people in this country."

Armand Vilks, Grange

“There wasn’t much to it. The rent tax credit was extended, and the minimum wage went up a few cents, that was about it.

“They didn’t change the income tax brackets at all. I know that the Vat rate went down to 9% for the hospitality sector and that NGOs got a chunk but there wasn’t too much in it for me, or for most. It won’t make a big difference for the pocket for me.”

Mary Galvin, Beaumont

“They did nothing for housing really I thought. I would have been more interested if they had said that they were going to help young people buy houses in some kind of productive way, and not by just giving money to the developers. I have a son who is 37 and he is living with us for the last 10 years because of it. He has just finally got the money together to buy a house.”

Larkin McCarthy

“I only spotted a few of the main points online, but none of it was relevant to me. I’m not on social welfare, I’m not on carer’s allowance, I’m not in the threshold for the tax change.

“The only thing that changed for me is that I have to pay more for my fuel, so I am actually worse off. I was a bit indifferent to it all, I wasn’t a loser or a winner on budget day.”

Anthony O’Hanlon, Passage West

“I didn’t even think to tune in to it, because it’s the same thing year in, year out. The Government give with one hand and take with the other.

“I think I got a tenner for the pocket for the welfare. I am a smoker and the 50c extra, I don’t know if it would make a difference to people.

“The only thing that bothered me really was the fuel going up.”