Taoiseach promises family-focused Budget amid concerns over Iran conflict and oil prices

Government signals stronger focus on household supports as global instability threatens economic and budgetary projections

Taoiseach Micheál Martin speaks to the media at Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis at The Dublin Royal Convention Centre. Picture: Cillian Sherlock/PA Wire

The Taoiseach has promised a family-focused Budget 2027 with measures aimed at supporting households facing rising living costs.

However, Micheál Martin warned that budgetary projections may need to be “recalibrated” because of the impact of the war in Iran and rising oil prices.

Asked whether the Government would prioritise a family-focused or business-centred Budget in the autumn, the Fianna Fáil leader said: "We always have to have economic growth, so that we can have social progress, but there will be a very strong emphasis on families to try and protect families because the costs are significant for families."

Mr Martin declined to provide specific details on whether the coalition plans to reduce childcare costs in the next Budget.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to reduce childcare costs to €200 per month per child during the lifetime of the Government.

Asked whether progress would be made on that commitment in the autumn Budget, Mr Martin said: "It's a five-year programme for government, and last year's budget was the first of five budgets, and I think that's the context. 

"We can't do everything in one budget, and so childcare is an area that we are clearly commitment to and we will obviously be considering.

"I'm not going to do the budget today, but obviously it's an issue that does impact on costs for families."

Speaking at the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis in Dublin, Mr Martin said budgetary projections would need to be reassessed in light of “unexpected events”, including the conflict in Iran.

He said: "When we did the budget last year, our priority was infrastructure in the first instance, because we wanted to start early on that infrastructure story, get the National Development Plan in place, get the capital allocated projects, and to say to industry out there, 'we're going to get these projects done'. 

"The war has intervened, we're going to have to recalibrate in terms of the next Budget."