Budget 2027 is set to dominate discussions as the Labour Party will gather in Galway city for the party’s annual Away Day and Think-In ahead of the new Dáil term.

Party leader Ivana Bacik is looking to discuss how her party can tackle the current cost of living crisis as she said “this Government has left people behind”.

“With housing and childcare increasingly unaffordable, energy costs soaring, and back to school costs rising, the Labour Party has a plan to drive down people’s bills, tackle the cost of living and revolutionise energy generation in Ireland.

“We are calling on the Government to use Budget 2027 to deliver meaningful supports for families, rather than untargeted measures that are ineffective in reducing household costs.”

As kids return to school, Deputy Bacik said there is significant pressure on those families expected to spend on average €1,600 across the school year. This include “over €600 in upfront costs. The average cost of digital devices alone for second level schools has now reached €430,” she added.

“In July, the Labour Party brought forward a Dáil motion proposing practical measures to tackle back to school costs and address the growing ‘digital divide’.”

She added that Budget 2027 “needs to deliver targeted energy supports for families. Rapidly rising energy costs are eating into people’s incomes, with many thousands now in arrears on energy bills.”

“Labour campaigned on the need for a retrofitting revolution during the General Election, and that call remains just as important today, particularly in the context of the war in the Middle East. We have called for delivery of a massive street-by-street retrofitting programme for homes, to ensure lower energy bills for households, along with reducing our reliance on fossil fuels,” she said.

What the new budget delivers for “hardworking people” will be a “crucial test” for Government, Deputy Bacik said.   

The event will be on from lunchtime on Thursday, September 3 through lunchtime on Friday, September 4 at the Galway Bay Hotel. Galway City Mayor Helen Ogbu is expected to give an opening address to her TD and Senator party colleagues.

Galway City Council has three Labour party members in representation: Mayor Helen Ogbu, Cllr John McDonagh, and Cllr Níall McNelis. There are no active Labour party members in Galway County Council.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting scheme.