Budget 2017: Pension rise to be delayed for rivals to broker deal

The €5 pension rise is set to be delayed until March and similar increases to widow, carer, disability, and blind supports may not occur until June as part of attempts to broker a budget deal between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

The measure emerged as all groups involved scrambled to gain credit for the first minority Government budget, with €5 lone parent and back-to- education allowance rises, an 85% Christmas bonus return, and potential medicine prescription charge cuts also the subject of intense discussion as budget negotiations went to the wire last night.

After days of debate between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil sparked by calls from Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar to delay the pension increase until June instead of January to allow other welfare increases to also take place, the parties held a meetings throughout yesterday in a bid to end the standoff.