Deputy Lawless today accused the Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Government of a deliberate extraction of wealth from ordinary Irish workers. Despite pre-election promises the government has failed to deliver for working families in the 2026 budget. This proves that the Tanaiste’s promise to “make work pay” has been inverted, forcing workers to pay for a decade of government mismanagement and waste.
“A huge gulf has emerged from government rhetoric to what was delivered in today’s budget. Simon Harris promised to ‘make work pay,’ but the 2026 budget ensures workers will pay. The standard rate cut-off point, where a single worker’s income jumps from the 20% to the 40% tax rate, remains shamefully low at €44,000,” stated Deputy Lawless.
“A generation ago, this income could secure a home. Today, that low threshold actively prevents young workers and families from saving a deposit or meeting mortgage eligibility tests. The math is brutal: €44,000 puts a single worker into the 40% tax rate. That is not ‘making work pay’—that is making workers’ pay for years of government mismanagement.”
The Government’s failure to deliver meaningful tax relief is thrown into stark relief by its systemic inability to manage public funds, oversight, and procurement across the State.
In Mayo the feeling after the budget is pure disappointment. For families and young workers trying to build a life in rural Ireland, this budget feels like another blow, not a lifeline.
Simon Harris failed to deliver on his pre-election promise to increase the income tax band. It’s hard not to feel let down when a core pledge to ease the pressure on hard-working people is simply ignored.”
