Budget 2027 has been defended by a Galway East government TD as one for the “long term”.
In the face of strong criticism from Sinn Féin, whose Galway-based Public Expenditure spokesperson claimed that “people have never felt so poor,” Deputy Albert Dolan said the Budget provided “real supports”.
Fianna Fail TD for Galway East, Albert Dolan, outlined his enthusiastic approval of the recent budget in a statement to Galway Pulse. Deputy Dolan explained: “It’s about putting more money back into people’s pockets and making sure the supports we’re providing are there for the long term, rather than just once-offs. There’s real support in there for pensioners, families, students, and people with disabilities.” Echoing the Tánaiste and Minister of Finance, Simon Harris, Deputy Dolan championed the budget as a success for working families. The €8.6-billion-euro budget concentrated largely on supports and tax breaks.
Deputy Dolan’s statement focused on the local outcomes of numerous budget provisions. “We’ve a huge number of working families, farmers, small businesses, and pensioners who will benefit from the measures announced. The increased social welfare payments, additional supports for students, investments in childcare, and home energy upgrades will all make a difference locally,” said Deputy Dolan.
“For me,” he continued, “the big thing I want to see is investment translating to better roads, more school places, improved public transport, and better healthcare services right across Galway East.”
State spending
Galway Pulse also reached out to Deputy Dolan asking for a statement on Statespend.ie, a website that allows the public to access reported State spending. Deputy Dolan launched the site on 1 October, 2026 as Deputy. According to Deputy Dolan, “The whole idea is very simple; we’re spending billions of euros of public money every year, and people should be able to see where it’s going, who’s receiving it, and what we’re getting in return. It’s about transparency, accountability, and getting better value for money.”
Deputy Dolan’s positive assessment of Budget 2027 was sharply criticised by Sinn Fein’s Mairead Farrell. The Galway West TD, who is the party’s spokesperson on Public Expenditure expressed her frustration at the lack of overall delivery for those who are struggline.
Deputy Farrell says the budget represents a mass of wealth being mis-distributed across the country, leaving the public without enough help. “There is plenty of money to give the banks, big developers and vulture funds sweetheart tax deals.” Deputy Farrell said: “However, despite this wealth, people have never felt so poor.”
When it comes to what the budget meant for Ireland’s young people, Deputy Farrell said says, “Seven out of 10 young people believe that they’d have a better quality of live abroad, there can be no worse indictment of a government than that.” She goes on to say said the biggest issue facing young people is housing, but the government has “left an entire generation locked out of affordable homes.”
Deputy Farrel calls for an increase in investment in social and affordable homes, double the renter’s tax credit, and ban rent increases. She expresses expressed her disappointment with budget 2027, saying “It is just a rehash of what came before it which means rising rents and house prices.”
Deputy Farrell said Budget 2027 fails to provide for public transport in Galway. “People in Galway city want services that are convenient, more reliable and faster, people in rural communities want an expanded network that meets their needs, this budget delivers none of those things.”
Student reactions
As for the Budget’s provision for Galway’s student population, further disappointment has been expressed.
“I have to say the budget was disappointing for students.” said University of Galway’s Student Union president Seán De Búrca. Mr De Búrca claims that while any reduction to the financial strain on students is welcome, the €150 cut to university fees doesn’t go far enough.
“€150 doesn’t even make half a week of rent for many students.”
Mr De Búrca also said that a focus on parents with multiple children in college is the wrong approach, as it infantilises students into being dependent on their families despite being adults. “It’s worrying that we’re looking at students who are for the most part adults, being indexed to their parents.”
In addition, Mr De Búrca raised concerns that the increase in student aid from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), was still too low. “4.5 percent, again, while it’s a positive that there’s been an increase, it’s nowhere near where it needs to be. The rate of the maintenance grants provided by SUSI have been consistently lagging behind since 2011.”
Mr De Búrca explained that the Irish Universities Association (IUA) has been calling for €190 million of investment into the higher education sector, and Budget 2027 has not come close to providing that. He warns warned that students are going to continue to struggle to afford life in Ireland between fees, rising rents, and a cost-of-living crisis.
“The higher education sector is totally underfunded, and this budget fails to resolve that. It means that this next year, students in the University of Galway are going to be facing worse educational outcomes, and it is as a result of there not being adequate funding for the sector.”
– Maggie Chambers, Matt Coggins, Saoirse Duhan and Oli Warner.