College fees to be cut by €500 as Budget 2026 talks go down to the wire 

Negotiations 'a slog' as public expenditure minister Jack Chambers insists that ministers make business case for spending

Finance minister Paschal Donohue and public expenditure minister Jack Chambers at a media briefing on the latest exchequer returns before Budget 2026. Picture: Cillian Sherlock/PA

Budget 2026 talks will go to the wire on a number of issues, with insiders saying that the process has been "gruelling".

However, college fees will be permanently cut by €500 per year in Tuesday’s budget after a day of long negotiations.