Dáil passes Finance Bill, paving way for General Election

The Minister for Finance has warmly welcomed that the Dáil passed the Finance Bill tonight, which underpins Budget 2025.

Jack Chambers said it was vital the legislation was approved to ensure changes to income tax bands, reduction in the Universal Social Change, and new supports for business and enterprise.

The Finance Bill was passed all stages in the Dáil by a margin of 75 to 55 in what was a guillotine vote.

Taoiseach Simon Harris had signalled earlier in the day that passing the bill was a key objective before calling a General Election later this week.

It is still unclear whether he will opt to dissolve the Dáil on Thursday morning or Friday afternoon.

During the debate on the bill, Sinn Féin's finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty said his party would abolish the USC on the first €45,000 of income if the party was in government.

Mr Doherty said that would happen over two years and he said all workers would benefit.

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett also told the Dáil that what the Government should have done with its Finance Bill was to get rid of the unfair USC, and get richer people to pay a bit more.

Independent Ireland deputy Michael Collins said the USC is a very unfair tax on the people of Ireland, and hitting low paid workers particularly hard.

Outgoing Social Democrats TD Róisín Shortall said the Government should be using the bill to spend extra money on "improving [public] services, not on regressive tax cuts".

The outgoing Dublin North West TD - who is not seeking re-election - questioned the rationale for some of the Government's financial measures.

"We have a situation now where it's grand to get a few extra bob for Christmas, but what happens after Christmas?," she asked.

Taoiseach expecting election campaign this week

Leinster House is now on a firm election footing, it is just a question of when Simon Harris blows the final whistle on the 33rd Dáil.

He could make the move in the Dáil chamber on Thursday, or wait until he returns from a meeting of EU leaders in Budapest around lunchtime on Friday.

The Taoiseach said it his expectation that there will be a general election campaign under way by the end of the week.

Speaking on his way into the Cabinet meeting this morning, Mr Harris said he will seek dissolution of the Dáil once the Finance Bill is passed and some other important pieces of legislation are dealt with.

Once they are out of the way I will seek a dissolution of the Dáil, he said.

Mr Harris added that he did not think this will come as a surprise to any person in the country.

Additional reporting: Mícheál Lehane, Sandra Hurley, Fiachra Ó Cionnaith