Budget 2026 neglects working people, infrastructure, says opposition in Cork

Cork’s opposition TDs have said Budget 2026 does not deliver for large infrastructure projects in Cork or for working people.

Labour’s Eoghan Kenny told The Echo that the budget would hit working families the hardest, with nothing to give them comfort in their day-to-day costs.

“Along with this, locally, there is no firm commitment to the Mallow relief road and the M20 motorway, which, once again, highlights this government’s intentions of following through on these vital projects.”

Independent Ireland’s Ken O’Flynn said he felt the northside of Cork city had been ignored. “We got a big fanfare announcement for Ringaskiddy Rd, yet no mention of the Mallow relief road, northern distributor road, nor do we have an agreement on funding for the North Ring Rd.”

The increase in the cost of petrol and diesel “is going to have a detrimental effect to many commuters who don’t have access to the trains or buses”, he said.

Leader of the Social Democrats and Cork South West TD, Holly Cairns, said it was “a budget of bad choices”. She told The Echo: “It shows that this government is firmly on the side of property developers and big business, rather than helping those struggling with the cost-of-living or desperately trying to find an affordable place to buy or rent.

“It hands out more than half a billion euro of tax cuts to developers, without any conditions attached to bring house prices down.”

Her party colleague Liam Quaide said that the budget “was an opportunity to lift 40,000 children out of poverty with a targeted, second tier of child benefit.

“The Government could have provided basic financial security to thousands of family carers by abolishing the punitive means test for carers’ allowance. They could have introduced a weekly cost-of-disability payment.

“They could have turbocharged the delivery of affordable homes by fully embracing modern construction methods and setting up a state-owned construction company. The Government bottled it on all of these measures and, instead, delivered tax breaks to developers, vulture funds, and large fast-food chains.”

Pádraig Rice added: 

“Targeted supports for business are needed, and we in the Social Democrats proposed those, but there can be no justification for slashing Vat for the likes of McDonald’s and Starbucks.”

Sinn Féin’s Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said: “A lot of the election promises have gone by the wayside. No progress on childcare fees and third-level fees will be more expensive. We also have no help with the out-of-control cost of living.”

Cork North Central’s Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould said: “There is, incredibly, no change to the social and affordable housing targets, which were already too low. Right across Cork, the pace of delivery is too slow, and we saw less houses delivered last year than the year before. Commencements in Cork are at record low levels, but nothing in this budget will deliver the homes that workers and families need.”