LIVE: Budget 2018

Budget 2018 is being unveiled at 1pm and all the main details will be unveiled here as they're announced.

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• Entry point for higher rate of tax to increase by €750. Cuts to two rates of USC. #Budget18
• Christmas bonus of 85% will be paid to all social welfare recipients  #Budget18
• Free preschool initiative  extended to two full years  #Budget18
• Additional €40m for child protection to be allocated to Child & Family Agency Tusla  
  #Budget18
• €64m increase in funding for department of agriculture food and marine #Budget18
• €25 million additional funding for #Brexit response loan scheme for agriculture sector #Budget18
•  VAT rate on tourism and services sector will not change
• €300m Brexit loan scheme for SME sector (including food businesses) #Budget18
• 1,300 extra teaching posts in schools. Student/teacher ratio lowered to 26:1 and 1,000 additional SNAs #Budget18
• 800 additional gardaí to be recruited and an additional 500 civilians will employed  in the force #Budget18
• VAT on sun beds to be increased by 23% #Budget18
• Sugar tax to be introduced 30c per litre of drinks with 8g of sugar per 100ml. Effective in April 2018 #Budget18
• Sugar tax to be introduced 30c per litre of drinks with 8g of sugar per 100ml. Effective in April 2018 #Budget18
• Increase in cigarette prices. A 20 pack will now be €12 
• €55m to be provided to National Treatment Purchase Fund & additional 1,800 frontline staff in healthcare #Budget18
• €685m increase in Health spending.€15.3m to be spent in 2018 marking an almost 5% increase #Budget18
•  3% levy for 1st year of vacant site to more than double to 7%.
• Stamp duty on commercial property transactions to rise from 2% to 6% 
• €750m from Ireland Strategic Investment Fund will be allocated to new Home Building Finance Ireland for commercial investment in housing 
• HAP being increased by €149m in Budget 2018.
• 2018 Total expenditure will amount to €60 bn.
• Rainy Day Fund to be set up in 2018 with €1.5 billion transferred from Ireland Strategic Investment fund to start it off.
• Finance Minister says unemployment is  expected to fall to 5.7% in 2018 
• Finance Minister Paschal Donohue will take to his feet at 1pm and will begin his Budget speech which is expected to last an hour.