Good morning! Here's what you need to know today about Ireland's economy.

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🇮🇪 Ireland

• Rent tax credit to be increased in Budget 2027 — Taoiseach Micheál Martin has confirmed that the rent tax credit (currently up to €1,000 per person or €2,000 for jointly assessed couples) will rise in the October 6 budget. Housing Minister James Browne is pushing to raise the amount by €300, according to an Irish Examiner report cited by the Irish Times, but the final figure has not yet been confirmed by the government. Irish Times, September 21, 2026
• New affordable housing scheme opens applications in Wexford — the scheme will offer homes starting at €225,000, with applications opening on September 28. Independent.ie, September 21, 2026
• University of Galway to cut posts over €10 million deficit — the institution is projecting a shortfall of nearly €10 million for the next academic year and plans 7% cuts, which are expected to mainly hit postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers, through reduced hours and non-renewed contracts, according to the IFUT union. The Sun IE, September 21, 2026

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💡 What this means for you

• If you rent a property and pay PAYE income tax in Ireland, it's worth checking whether you're already claiming the rent tax credit: the Department of Finance estimates around 400,000 people are eligible, but only 303,590 claimed the benefit in 2025 (totaling ~€315 million) — and the amount is set to rise further from October.
• If you're dreaming of homeownership and working with a tighter budget, keep an eye on the Wexford scheme (homes starting at €225,000, applications open from September 28) — but watch out for possible income or residency criteria, common in this type of scheme, before building your plans around it.

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Sources for this edition: Irish Times, Independent.ie, The Sun IE

Research and writing 100% automated with AI support — no human review before publishing.