Editorial: Will giveaway Budget buy the voters’ loyalty? - Kilkenny Live

Another Budget Day has been and gone and, depending on who you ask, it’s celebration time — or  the end is nigh. In short, it’s been a mixed reaction from various quarters.

One vocal critic has been local publican Pat Crotty, the Kilkenny man at the helm of the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland. He has warned that a failure to introduce targeted measures and cut the VAT rate, will lead to closures in the sector. The Irish Hotels Federation has made similar soundings. That would not be good for   Kilkenny, where hospitality is crucial to employment.  

In our  crucial sector of farming, Macra has said it is very disappointed in the details of Budget 2025. Others  point to a  tillage payment scheme, funding for suckler farmers   increased,  while sheep farmers are in line for an increase too. 

Additional electricity energy credits will help, while it’s great to see   pensioners will receive an increase of €12 in their pension; and there will be an extension to the fuel allowance.

As mentioned in this column last week, until the triple crises of housing, healthcare and cost of living are tackled, we face a lot of challenges. It’s hard to see this Budget driving down house prices,  sorting the children’s hospital or waiting lists. Temporary cost-of-living measures and tax cuts tend not to stall inflation.

Will the giveaway measures be enough to buy  voters’ support with an election surely imminent?

JUNIOR INFANTS
We are delighted to bring you a special edition of the Kilkenny People this week, with a bumper, 44-page, free supplement  featuring Junior Infants classes across the county. 

Our annual First Days at School is ever-popular with parents, teachers, schools, and hopefully — a few years down the road —   the students themselves. It’s a lovely memento of the very beginning of their education journey. Make sure to pick up a physical copy before they're all gone.

Thank you to all schools and principals  who participated again this year! We have no doubt they’ll go on to great things, with their families and teachers to help and guide them along the way.  
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