Retail Ireland Monitor

The announcement of Budget 2026, due on 7 October, comes amid heightened global uncertainty and a changing domestic context, with the country no longer in the run-up to an election. The Government has signalled a scaling back of the household and consumer supports that featured prominently in recent years. A VAT reduction for hospitality has been committed to, absorbing a significant share of the available fiscal space, while housing and capital investment will remain central priorities. As a result, the scope for additional consumer-focused measures, and the potential uplift to domestic activity that this could deliver, is more limited this time around. A cautionary consumer outlook is set to continue.