Callers from ‘squeezed middle class’ quiz finance ministers over Budget 2026

Government ministers have reiterated their desire to protect the economy as they answered queries from members of the public the day after the Budget was delivered.

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers responded live to questions from listeners of RTE Radio One’s Today with Claire Byrne programme on Wednesday morning.

The first caller, Marie, wanted to know what the budget has done for the “squeezed middle class”.

She lives with her husband, daughter, her daughter’s partner and her two grandchildren, one of whom has additional needs.

Mr Donohoe responded by saying “the most important thing for me is that we still have an economy, and a society, in which we have everybody at work”.

Mr Chambers echoed that sentiment when answering small business owner Gerry.

He said: “What’s crucial to your business is that you continue to have demand for the service or the business that you provide for your customers.

“And critical to that is to have an economy which is continuing to grow.”

By the third caller, Liz, there was clear frustration with the ministers’ focus on the economy, rather than the Budget’s impact on individuals, with the pensioner saying: “They’re beautiful words around the political table, but for us who are here at the coal face trying to live, can you just speak in normal language and tell me what I need to hear?”

The 66-year-old explained how her pension and 22 euro a week living alone increase were not enough to deal with the rising cost of living.

She said she is “eating into” her savings on a weekly basis, leaving her to worry how she will cope in her older age and that she “can’t live on words”.

The treatment of the elderly was also why Catherine contacted the programme.

She described it as a “disgrace” that her 94-year-old father is “worried” about how he can afford the local property tax on the home he has lived in for 70 years.

The Minister for Finance explained there is a deferral in place that allows people to pay the tax later in life, or when the property is sold.

He went on to say: “It is a really important tax that makes a big difference to what happens within our local communities” and pays for public services at a local level like roads, libraries and local authorities.

Father-of-five Garvan challenged the description of the 500 euro permanent reduction in student fees as a “cut”.

Mr Chambers defended it, saying: “The measures that were taken the last two or three years were temporary and were one-off.

“And what we’ve done in this Budget is any measure we’ve taken is permanent and indefinite.

“They were temporarily reduced and I appreciate, for you, now it appears like an increase.”

It was not something Garvan accepted, responding “they are an increase, they don’t look like it, they are”.

Another parent, Louise, wanted to know when the 200 euro a month cap on childcare outlined in the Programme for Government would come into place, as she is paying 1,500 a month for her two young children.

Mr Chambers said “it is something we want to advance over a series of budgets. It’s not possible to do it in one go.”

When Louise told the ministers her youngest would be out of childcare by the end of this government’s term, Mr Donohoe pointed to the “additional funding was put into the national childcare scheme, which means that, I think, approximately 30,000 of the children will be able to participate in it.”

Callers shoe retailer Bernard and Tara, who has a small craft and design business, challenged the reduction in VAT for hospitality businesses to 9% when the products they sell are subject to 23% VAT.

When asked if there could be a tiered system to help small businesses, the Minister for Public Expenditure explained EU law “means that we’re not able to change our VAT law to recognise the size of different businesses and enterprises”.