The budget for 2019 was announced today.

Among the announcements, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe confirmed the allocation of €2.3 billion to housing programmes in 2019. He also allocated €1.25 billion to create 10,000 new social homes in 2019, telling the house that "more new homes will be provided this year than any year in the last decade". A further €60 million increase in capital funding has been allocated for emergency accommodation in 2019. Minister Donohoe also increased the welfare payments buy €5 a week, as well as fully restoring the Christmas bonus. The minister also confirmed that parents are going to be getting an extra two weeks of parental leave, with a new scheme set to begin in 2019. A €1.05 billion increase in health funding was announced, bringing the overall health budget to €17 billion. Mental health services will be allocated an additional €84 million next year, bringing the total budget to €1 billion. Minister Donohoe added that he is allocating an additional €1.4 billion for schools, universities, public transport and other important infrastructure projects in 2019. Around €196 million is capital funding has been allocated for education, with 1,300 new jobs to be created in schools next year. The budget for 2019 will also see the minimum wage increase to €9.80 as of January 1, 2019

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