'A lot of it related to once-off payments': Budget 25 reactions

Prior to Budget 25, Prime Time met several people to understand their main priorities, and what they most wanted to see from the ministers in the Department of Finance.

On Tuesday night, KPMG calculated how the measures announced will impact their pocket, and two of them gave their reactions.

Vanessa Kilcullen is a mother of four children aged between 13 and 3 years old, and married to David. They are paying a fixed rate mortgage on their home in Raheny in north Dublin.

"It's very tough at times, especially with four children, all in full-time education," she told Prime Time.

Vanessa works three days a week as a nurse specialist in a children's hospital, and also has a business doing baby massage classes. David works full-time as ground staff in Dublin Airport.

"We do have a childminder who takes the kids after school and things like that. But the financial climate is difficult at times... If your dishwasher breaks, if your tumble dryer goes, it's quite difficult to have the financial backing there."

In Budget 2025, Vanessa had been hoping to see changes which would alleviate financial struggles for families like hers.

"I do think sometimes the middle or working class, to me, appears to get hit the hardest. We're not entitled to fuel allowance, we're not entitled to back to school allowance... we don't see it come back to us then in the end."

Prime Time asked KPMG to calculate the impact that measures announced in Budget 2025 would have on Vanessa and David’s finances.

They calculated that Budget 2025 would them gain €2997 over the twelve months, or €97 a week.

Tax changes account for €1,627 of the total, split between a €1,300 income tax gain and €417 in USC, both offset by a PRSI increase of €90.

The rest of the total comes from cost of living measures, mainly bonus child benefit payments, but also the €250 energy credit.

Reacting to the details, Vanessa said "it sounds really good but a lot of it related to once-off measures."

"When it comes to it me and my husband are like passing ships in the day because of childcare costs, I would have liked to see more in the National Childcare Scheme, more long-term rather than once-off payments."

Carolyn Akentola is 60 years old and living in Tallaght in west Dublin. She recently moved into a two-bed bungalow managed by a housing association.

"I have a condition called Ehlers–Danlos syndrome. It's a genetic collagen defect. I would dislocate joints very, very easily, tear skin, heart problems, visual problems. I also have significant asthma, COPD, and multiple allergies that cause anaphylaxis."

She says the cost of living is her main issue going into Budget 2025, and the cost of having a disability adds significantly to that.

"Five years ago, I probably did have a little bit more money to play around with. Now it seems to be that you're being a lot more careful," she told Prime Time.

"As I physically deteriorate, my needs will probably significantly increase. So there is always that worry in the back of your mind, Oh, what could be coming down the road? How would I manage that?"

KPMG calculated the impact of Budget 2025 measures on Carolyn’s finances. In total she is set to gain €2040 over the period, or €39 per week.

€624 of that will come from increases in the disability allowance, which were raised along with other social welfare payments. The rest will come in the form of once-off payments, including bonus payments of the living alone allowance and fuel allowance.

Carolyn will also benefit from the €250 energy credit.

"I’m delighted to see it," Carolyn said after hearing the details. "I would far rather have seen these once-off payments rolled over into regular core payments, once-off payments are all very well and very very welcome, but our impairments are not once-off."

"I’m also really disappointed for carers, really they haven’t got a huge amount out of this budget, I was a carer and now I need a carer... really they are treated so poorly."