Dublin, Sept. 26, (dpa/GNA) - In Ireland, households are to receive an electricity bill credit as costs soar.
The support amounts to €200 ($190) in November, January and March. Additionally, those who are entitled to heating cost allowances are to receive a further €400 before Christmas, the government said as it presented a relief budget worth €11 billion.
The package also provides for a maximum of €10,000 per month in energy cost support for businesses to cover up to 40% of the price increase.
VAT on electricity and gas, which has been reduced to 9%, will remain at this level nationwide, initially until the end of February.
Tax cuts will also help drivers, with the price of petrol set to drop by 21 cents per litre, diesel by 16 cents and gas oil by 5.4 cents.
Consumers are also set to benefit with the removal of VAT from sanitary products, medicines for hormone replacement therapy, nicotine patches, defibrillators and newspapers in printed and digital form.
Dublin also extended free contraception to women up to the age of 30, up from the earlier age of 25.
Cigarettes are to cost more, with the price for a pack of 20 set to rise by 50 cents to at least €15.50.
Ireland is allocating €90 million to the tourism and culture sector to help the industries recover from the pandemic.
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe told the Irish Times newspaper that while growth was still the most likely scenario for next year, the country is facing an incredibly uncertain environment.
GNA