Budget 2022: Free GP care for 6 and 7-year-olds and increased parents leave

Here's everything parents need to know about Budget 2022.

Health

• Free GP care has been extended to children aged 6 and 7 with the intention to extend it up to the age of 12.
• Free contraception for women aged 17-25 from next August.
• €250 million investment in resolving waiting list crisis.
• Threshold for the drug payment scheme lowered to €100 max.
• €37 million expansion in mental health services.
• 19 additional critical care beds funded next year.
• €105 million for disability services

Childcare

• Children up to the age of 15 to be included in National Childcare Scheme.
• €69 million for new funding stream for 4,700 childcare providers from September 2022
• €716 million investment in the childcare sector

Minimum Wage

The minimum wage will be increased by 30c to €10.50 per hour.

Education

• Back-to-School Allowance increased by €10.
• Pupil to teacher ratio to be reduced to 24
• Funding for 980 additional teachers
• Funding for 1,165 SNAs
• €4 million to extend hot school meals scheme
• €200 contribution fee for post-Leaving Cert courses abolished
• Susi maintenance grant will be increased by €200
• The threshold for families applying for Susi expanded by €1,000
• Qualifying distance for Susi grant reduced to 30km

Parents Leave

• Parents Leave will be increased to seven weeks in July 2022.
• Parents of new babies can avail of €245 payment from Government.

Lone Parents

• Lone Parents allowance will increase by €5

Welfare

• Christmas bonus will be paid to welfare recipients
• Fuel allowance will increase by €5 tonight
• Main welfare payments, including jobseekers, will increase by €5
• PUP will remain in place until end of February 2022

Housing

• 3% Zoned Land Tax to encourage building homes on land
• The help-to-buy scheme will continue in 2022
• €174 million for over 4,000 affordable homes in 2022
• 9,000 new build social housing units will be delivered in 2022
• 14,000 additional Housing Assitance Payment tenancies

Cigarettes

• The cost of 20 packet of cigarettes will increase by 50c.

Tax

• Ceiling of USC second rate band will increase to €21,295.
• All of the personal tax credits will increase by €50
• Reduced VAT of 9% for hospitality will remain until August 2022

Legal Aid for Victims

• Funding for victims of domestic abuse, gender-based violence, and sexual abuse to extend legal aid