The Echo spoke to people on the streets of Cork to see how they felt about Budget 2026.

The 6.2% hike to €27.4bn in the national health spend is not broken down by region.So it is not yet known how many more healthcare staff, hospital beds, and nursing home places Cork will get, writes Amy Campbell

Cork TD and Labour Party education spokesperson Eoghan Kenny said Tuesday’s budget lacked ambition on education.

Paddy O'Brien said there was disappointment that the increase in the State pension was only €10.

Uisce Éireann welcomed the record level of funding, saying that it reflects the “critical role that resilient water services play".

Among the suite of new measures announced include €2.9 billion for the delivery of new-build social homes and second-hand acquisitions, €10 increases to weekly social protection payments, and the commencement of a new Dublin-Derry airlink.

At the conclusion of the ministers’ speeches, opposition parties – who have set out their own alternative Budgets in the preceding week – will have the opportunity to respond and critique the coalition’s plan for the year ahead.

The councillors highlighted how their proposals would bring improvements to families across the city.

Given that diesel will remain essential to Ireland’s economy for the foreseeable future, the IRHA calls for the continuation of the existing diesel rebate scheme.

Given that the budget is just around the corner, we visited a ‘school around the corner’ to get the perspective of primary school pupils in Cork.

The one thing the minister has said is that she wants to shift the focus from additional current spending — wages, operational costs, etc — to capital investment in infrastructure.

The Raise the Roof campaign group, comprising trade unions, political parties, and civil society groups, will say that the Government must prioritise funding for housing in the Budget.

With €1.5bn earmarked for tax cuts, the hospitality sector is expected to the be the main beneficiary, where a change to Vat is expected to eat at least 45% of the money available for tax measures.

This year the two parties have been at pains to tell people not to expect the same as last year, or even recent years, as this Budget 2026 will be more conservative

Josephine O’Neill, national president of the Macra network, said that this budget is “a critical moment to show young people living and working in rural Ireland that their future matters”.

In its pre-budget submission, Friends of the Earth has highlighted five areas that should be funded to address both of these crises and ease the burden on communities and people who are struggling.

The importance of looking after the elderly into the future is evidenced by figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), which is predicting that the numbers of those aged 65 or older will increase by 140% by 2057.

There are a number areas in healthcare where investment could substantially take the pressure off the system, medical sector professionals tell John O’Shea in advance of next week’s Budget. Additional hospital staffing, mental health resources, early intervention and expanded services for our seniors are all on their wishlist

A huge ramping-up of housing developments has been called for by every political party, and by representative groups and unions for sectors including education and health. All sectors are impacted by the lack of accommodation, which can make it harder to secure staff.

Amidst the discussions about VAT rates for restaurants, tightening the public purse, and protecting jobs, I have heard little about how investing in children and young people must be placed at the centre of Budget 2026., writes KATHRIONA DEVEREUX. 

The comments came after Taoiseach Micheál Martin ruled out a specific cost of living package in the next budget.