Amidst the possibility of an Irish winter general election, tax cuts and child-related subsidies are expected to be among the major policies announced in Budget 2025.

The final of the coalition's five financial packages, worth 8.3 billion euros in measures, will be unveiled by the governments of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, and the Green Party.

Expected revisions to income tax thresholds, a reduction in the Universal Social Charge (USC), and a rise in the 750 euro renters tax credit are all part of the budget 2025, which will be formally announced on Tuesday.

A cost-of-living package comprising punter-friendly energy credits and two double child benefit payments will also be announced by the government.

A “baby boost” payment of 420 euro – suggested by Green Party leader and Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman to help parents with the costs of a newborn baby – has also been approved, along with a 15 euro increase in maternity and paternity benefit.

A disagreement on the scale of welfare payment increases surfaced in the media over the weekend, where it was reported Fine Gael was seeking a 15-euro increase to pensions alongside a lower hike for the jobseekers’ allowance.

Irish premier and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris had said publicly that it did not make sense to spend significantly more on jobseekers’ allowance at a time when the economy is at near full employment.

Deputy premier and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin dismissed the row as mischievous spin; he said that a 12-euro hike for all welfare payments had been “stitched in” for months and that differentiating welfare payments was not raised during budget talks.

Among the other notable measures included in the budget are free hormone replacement therapy from January, which could save women between 360 and 840 euro a year, and funding for 400 new staff and digital investment at the International Protection Office.

The government is also expected to outline how 14.1 billion euro in Apple tax revenues should be spent, which Ireland received after losing a long-running state aid case against the European Commission in September.

Eight billion of the Apple tax revenue is expected to be received this year, contributing to Ireland’s total surplus of 25 billion euro in 2024, fuelled by multinationals’ corporation taxes.

The government has stressed that the Apple tax windfall and other surpluses will not affect the amount spent in Budget 2025.

The country’s fiscal watchdog has urged politicians not to repeat past mistakes, arguing that before the recession Ireland’s booming economy was exposed as vulnerable by overly relying on one sector.

But rumours of an election before Christmas, fuelled by flattering poll numbers for Fine Gael since Mr Harris took over as leader in April – who has the ultimate call on when to go to the polls, have raised accusations of a “giveaway” budget.

A general election must be held by March 22 at the latest and although many senior government ministers insist the coalition will go “full term”, there has been little clarity on what that means.

Speaking in an Instagram video shot at 10:23 p.m. on Monday, Mr. Harris stated that the budget was intended to assist individuals in meeting their living expenses, making reference to subsidies for fuel, electricity, childcare, and education.

He added that there would be an infrastructure package that would probably be paid for by Apple tax money and would concentrate on housing, water, and energy.

Tuesday at 1pm in the Dail legislative chamber, Finance Minister Jack Chambers and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe will make the budget announcements.