Thread by @Costellop

Today we announced the first budget of this government in highly trying times for us all. The participation of the @greenparty_ie in government can be seen in what was delivered today, a budget that put the vulnerable first and one that prepares for a green recovery #Budget2021

Today's budget include the following measures.

Social Protection:

- PUP extended to April 1st
- Pension age to stay at 66
- Increasing carers support grant by €150 euros
- Extending parents benefit by further three weeks
- Christmas Bonus to be paid to people on PUP

Housing:
- €5.2bn for Dept of Housing a €773m increase.
- 12,750 new homes to be added to social housing stock
- €110m for Affordable Housing and cost rental schemes.
- €78m for an additional 15,000 households under HAP
- 30% Increase in funding for homelessness services

Transport:
- Additional allocation of €1bn being made to public transport in 2021
- Public Transport increase of €340m made under Public Service Obligation (PSO)
- €360m increase in walking and cycling budget
- Doubling of Greenway spending (€50m)

Health:
- The Health budget is over €22 billion (€1.9b increase)
- 5m extra home home care hours
- €38 million for new mental health measures
- Of which €5 million is for community based dementia support services.
- €25 million for Healthy Ireland policy and Drugs Strategy

Education:
- Pupil teacher ratios at primary level to drop to 25:1
- 990 new SNAs
- €80m for school buildings, ICT & works
- €250 to all third-level students to facilitate move to online learning (€50m)
- Increase of €5.5m to Hot school meals programme

Children/Childcare:
- Three weeks' optional paid parental leave on top of the two weeks previously announced
- €5 million for youth services and organisations
- €61 million for Tusla

Arts, Tourism, Hospitality:
- Cut in VAT for the hospitality sector from 13.5% to 9%
- €55m for tourism and business support scheme
- €50m for live entertainment supports and an extra
- €36m for Sport Ireland
- Weekly support payment of max €5000 for businesses

Enterprise, Trade, and Employment:
- Illness benefit will be available on Day 3 of illness, rather than Day 6
- Self-employed people can defer tax returns for one year without interest
- EWSS extended through 2021
- €39m in continued access to low cost loans for business.

Justice:
- 620 new Garda recruits and 500 Garda administrative staff
- €7.5m for vehicle fleet including the continuation of hired community vehicles.
- €147m for the overall justice sector, a 6 per cent increase on 2020 levels.
- €27m for Covid-related measures

Without the @greenparty_ie this budget would not contain the sheer measure of social protections it does. Myself and my colleagues continually lobbied at cabinet to help those most vulnerable in our society and I believe this budget does just that. #Budget2021 #GreenRecovery