Budget Crunch: Fuel Excise, Rent Credits, and the EU Fiscal Squeeze

Tánaiste Simon Harris says there are a "couple of big calls" left in Budget 2027 negotiations, with ministers racing to finalise a package before October 6. The three sticking points: whether to raise childcare subsidies, how much to increase the rent tax credit, and — perhaps the trickiest — whether to proceed with restoring fuel excise duties on diesel and petrol in November. Harris flagged that restoring the excise "may not be prudent" given soaring...