On Tuesday 10th October 2023, the Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath, and the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohue, published the Government’s Budget for 2024. This was framed as a ‘step change in planning for the future’ in terms of buttressing public finances against potential economic shocks and in planning for future economic stability, whilst also continuing increases in public spending, with the overall package of supports totalling €14 billion.
Much like previous budgets since 2020, the public spending proposed reflects the impact on the Irish economy caused by Covid-19 and the resulting cost-of-living crisis. Aside from continued inflation and costs to everyday services, the Budget attempts to address key areas such as Housing, Education
AsIAm welcomes several measures in the Budget for 2024, such as spending in education, healthy and employment supports , all of which impact our community. However, we also believe there were missed opportunities to address levels of exclusion and poverty in the autistic community. Indeed, the government neglected to introduce a Cost of Disability payment as recommended in our Pre-Budget submission. Furthermore the government missed an important chance to build trust in our community through planning for a National Autism Strategy, particularly in the wake of the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Autism's recommendations in this area.
You can read our report in full here.
