Statement by Minister Harris on Budget 2027.

Tobacco: Smoking continues to kill many Irish people every year. It is important that we continue to discourage and dissuade people, particularly younger people from smoking. I am therefore increasing the excise duty on a pack of 20 cigarettes by €1, with a pro-rata increase on other tobacco products. I am also increasing the duty on e-liquid products by 20 cents per millilitre.

Rural pubs: Ceann Comhairle, rural pubs are at the heart of many local communities, providing a place where families, friends and neighbours can come together. Supporting our local pub helps keep an important part of rural life alive, while also supporting local jobs and the wider community. They are also key small and medium businesses hiring thousands of people around the country, including young people. Today, I am announcing €15 million to keep our pub doors open. Over the next number of weeks, Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke and I will develop a scheme which will help assist our publicans...

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Press release - Budget 2027 delivers €29.1 billion for health services as Government continues investment in more care, closer to home

Minister Murnane O’Connor said: “Budget 2027 strengthens prevention, inclusion and community-based care. It will support implementation of the new National Drugs Strategy, expand drug and alcohol services and prevention initiatives, and improve healthcare for people experiencing homelessness and others who face barriers to accessing services. “The allocation will support Sláintecare Healthy Communities, home STI testing, the HIV Action Plan, Tobacco Free Ireland 2035, Women’s Sheds and other local initiatives. It will also begin the phased introduction of a national shingles vaccination programme for eligible cohorts. Together, these measures will improve population health while directing additional support to communities with the greatest need.”....

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Budget 2027 Expenditure Report

P.101 Vote 9 – Revenue Commissioners Selected Measures  Programme A – Administration and Collection of Taxes, Duties and Frontier Management: Collect the taxes and duties that account for over 90% of Exchequer revenue, and to reduce outstanding tax debt. Implement customs controls, including facilitation of legitimate trade and the interdiction of drugs and other illegal substances. Allocation for 2027 €million €684.448  

P. 194 Table 4: Selected Expenditure Measures for 2027 - Social Inclusion, National Drugs Strategy, Community Health & Wellbeing Expand community drug and alcohol services and prevention initiatives under the National Drugs Strategy and expand social inclusion and health & wellbeing services in areas such as the Healthy Communities programme, homelessness supports, sexual health measures including STI testing and 36 the HIV Action Plan, Tobacco Free Ireland 2035, women’s sheds, male pelvic cancer survivorship, other social inclusion and health prevention measures. Allocation for 2027 € million 36

P.221 Vote 14 – State Laboratory Efficiencies and Reforms to be delivered in 2027 Improvements to the Forensic Analytical and Toxicology Service A new service will be in place in 2027 that will analyse the most commonly seen drugs and will have a significantly shorter turnaround time than the existing service. Clients will be able to choose between the existing more comprehensive service and the new service...

P.318 Programmes under which the Subheads for this Vote will be accounted for by the Office of the Minister for Health - B.3 -DRUGS INITIATIVE (figures provided in report table).

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Press release - Minister Jim O’Callaghan secures investment of €5.9bn for the justice sector in 2027

• Total increase of €400 million to the justice sector budget in 2027
• Increase of €167 million to Garda budget to support recruitment of 1,000 new Gardaí
• Prison capital budget increases by 40% to support the delivery of 1,500 new prison spaces by 2031
• Savings of €682 million made to accommodation budgets for people seeking international protection or in receipt of temporary protection
• Funding for Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence initiatives increases by €5.3 million to €84.4 million
• €14.5 million to support Access to Justice through civil legal aid reform
• An additional €11.5 million to be invested in youth justice initiatives

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Press release - Minister for Mental Health announces major investment in mental health services and crisis supports in Budget 2027

• Total allocation for mental health in 2027 will be €1.657 billion, an increase of €108 million (7%) on 2026.
• Mental health funding has increased by more than 60% since 2020.
• Funding secured for an additional 285 mental health clinicians in 2027.
• Major investment in crisis supports, youth mental health, specialist services and suicide prevention.

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Minister Butler marks World Mental Health Day 2026 by announcing €11 million investment in early intervention, youth mental health and talk therapies.

• Almost €4 million to establish four new Jigsaw services, providing access to 135,000 more young people across six counties.
• Further investment in community-based counselling and talk therapies to provide 33,000 more free counselling sessions.
• Increase of €108 million in mental health in Budget 2027, bringing total allocation to €1.657 billion – up over 60% since 2020.