Pensioner calls €3 boost to living alone allowance a joke as Budget 2027 draws mixed reactions

In the wake of Ireland’s Budget 2027, an elderly pensioner voiced outrage that the €3 uplift to the living-alone allowance amounts to a joke, noting that his household income halved after his wife’s death and that the modest increase does not cover basic costs. The budget, which raises public spending to €125.6 billion, includes a €1.3 billion income-tax relief, a projected surplus of €6.7 billion rising to €9.5 billion, and sizable investments in infrastructure, renewable energy, and the fuel allowance.

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council warned the plan puts public finances on a worse trajectory, while opposition figures such as Ivana Bacik and Cian O’Callaghan criticised the lack of substantial pension raises and the reliance on corporation tax. Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Finance Minister Simon Harris argued the package balances fiscal responsibility with protection for households during international crises, citing the surplus and targeted support for disability, childcare, and energy costs. The debate also touched on cuts to RTÉ funding and the absence of a promised €100 culture card.