A major pre-Budget protest will take place in Dublin tomorrow, with campaigners calling on the Government to take urgent action to make life more affordable for workers, families, pensioners, students and people with disabilities.
The Affordable Ireland Campaign demonstration will take place at Parnell Square at 1pm on September 19.
The Irish Wheelchair Association is among the organisations supporting the protest and is urging the public to attend, highlighting the additional costs faced by people living with disabilities.
Campaigners say rising prices and the cost of essential services are placing increasing pressure on households, while calling for public transport fare increases to be reversed.
The protest is being supported by a number of organisations, including the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, student unions, the Irish Wheelchair Association, CATU, the tenants' union and the Irish Senior Citizens' Parliament.
TDs and Senators from opposition left-wing parties have also called on members of the public to attend. The Affordable Ireland Campaign has additionally called on public-sector workers who have voted for strike action to participate in the demonstration.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said the Government needed to use the country's resources to provide greater support for households.
“Budget 2026 was a giveaway for developers and fast-food chains. It saw a handout given to developers and highly profitable fast-food chains when supports, including energy credits, were removed from all households. It left many households worse off.”
He called for Budget 2027 to prioritise households struggling with the cost of living and criticised recently announced public transport fare increases.
“We can’t let that happen again. Budget 2027 must be a budget for the many suffering households.”
He also called on those opposed to the transport fare increases to attend Saturday's demonstration and demand that they be reversed.
Carlow councillor Adrienne Wallace said investment in public services was needed to reduce household costs, particularly in childcare, education and healthcare.
“Last year local FF and FG councillors in Carlow voted to increase the Local Property Tax for the following four years. In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis this was a particularly callous move.”
She said Budget 2027 should provide relief for people struggling with rising costs.
“Investment in public services is the best way to cut the cost of living for the people who rely on those services. We need to see major investment in childcare, education and healthcare in particular, while disabled people can't be expected to continue to wait for a payment to reflect the cost of having a disability.”
Ms Wallace also raised concerns about energy costs and public transport fares.
“The withdrawal of vital energy supports has pushed working families into arrears with 330,000 falling behind with their energy bills. Public transport fares will soar by over 15% while the red carpet is rolled out for data centres that force up energy costs.”
“It’s time to send them a message before Budget 2027.”
The Affordable Ireland Campaign says the protest is intended to put pressure on the Government ahead of Budget 2027 and to demand measures aimed at reducing the financial pressures facing households.
