‘The demand for housing is exceeding the supply,’ COPE Galway reacts to Budget 2025

By Anne-Marie Brennan

This Tuesday, 1 October Budget 2025 was announced with a number of measures aimed at supporting families during the cost of living crisis.

Galway Pulse spoke to the Advocacy and Engagement Manager Dr Sally Anne Corcoran at COPE Galway to find out the charity’s position on how beneficial Budget 2025 will be for families.

“We were a little disappointed on the lack of specific measures,” Corcoran said, referring to COPE’s concern for how the Budget will tackle the current housing crisis.

She recognised the announcement of 10,000 new builds as a positive step but emphasised the need to “streamline the system so it can deliver effectively”.

“The solution is supply. Right now the demand for housing is exceeding the supply.”

Corcoran said that the charity was hoping for more clarity surrounding how the Budget is going to help improve housing situation.

According to Gov.ie, there were 2,093 families in emergency accommodation in June 2024. This figure includes 4,404 children under 18.

When asked about the extension of the Hot School Meals programme and free schoolbooks scheme, Corcoran praised it as being “hugely advantageous”.

“The idea is that by ensuring that all students have a hot nutritious meal at least once per day and have all their schoolbooks provided to them free of charge, that by providing these basic needs, we enable the participation in school of all, on a more equal footing.

“The vision at COPE Galway is a society that we can all participate in at the same level. The end goal is that all can participate and on a more equal basis.”

Budget 2025 also introduced the School Meals Holiday Hunger pilot project which is set to start in summer 2025.

The Advocacy and Engagement Manager emphasised the importance of measures that bring about long-term change.

In his statement on Budget 2025 Minister for Public Expenditure Pascal Donohue said:

“To provide further support to families raising children, two double payments of Child Benefit will be made to all qualifying households in November and December.”

Corcoran explained how once-off payments like the doubling of Child Benefit provides “more disposable income” and “reduces inequality in the short-term” but expressed a need for more long-term proposals.

When asked about preferred alternatives to these payments, Corcoran referred to other measures in Budget such as the higher rate of income tax bands or an extended increase of the child benefit rather than it being given in a lump sum.

“As an example, if they increased the child benefit allowance by five euro a month that could help families in the long run.”

Corcoran clarified that this example “isn’t COPE Galway’s position” but that it’s about creating “structural adjustments” which “would be preferable” to once-off payments when helping families dealing with poverty.

COPE Galway is a charity that provides support services to vulnerable members of society. To read their full statement on Budget 2025 click here.