Budget 2026 an opportunity to lay down a marker for gender equality

Published: Thursday, July 10, 2025

The National Women’s Council today launches Pre-Budget Submission for Budget 2026

The National Women’s Council has called on the Government to seize the opportunity of its first Budget to deliver a bold, feminist vision for the future. Budget 2026 must invest in universal, inclusive public services that support women as part of a new feminist economic model that prioritises care for people and planet and creates an Ireland for all.

Budget 2026 must deliver meaningful, structural investment in public services that support all women and the wider society. NWC has identified four key areas to advance gender equality in the Budget:

• Early Childhood Education and Care: an additional €300m investment in Budget 2026 to reduce costs and improve accessibility, including €30m for initial rollout of publicly delivered services
• Women’s Mental Health: the establishment of Ireland’s first Mother and Baby Unit
• Energy Justice: extension of the Fuel Allowance to those in receipt of the Working Family Payment and implement minimum BER for rented properties
• Tackling Violence Against Women: provide 250 more refuge units, especially in counties with no available refuges, and supports for long-term housing

Orla O’Connor, Director of the National Women’s Council, said:

“Women in Ireland today are facing myriad crises: in housing and homelessness, the ongoing impacts of the cost-of-living crisis, in our public services in access to childcare, health and social care, the climate and biodiversity emergency, and an epidemic of violence against women. At a time when unprecedented economic resources are available to Government, now is the time to invest in a way that betters the lives of women in Ireland. Budget 2026 must clearly do that by investing in public services.

“Despite repeated commitments by Government, Ireland still lacks a dedicated Mother and Baby Unit for women needing inpatient mental health care after childbirth. Budget 2026 must deliver on the capital funding necessary to establish this essential service.  

“Violence against women continues to be at epidemic levels, and access to refuges and long-term accommodation is a significant barrier for many victim-survivors. Budget 2026 must have strong budgetary commitments to provide more refuge units – particularly in counties that currently have no available refuges – and provide supports for long term housing for victim-survivors.”

NWC Women’s Economic Equality Coordinator, Donal Swan, said:

“Budget 2026 presents an opportunity for Government to kickstart the transition to a public system of early childhood education and care, by allocating funding for the initial rollout of publicly delivered childcare services in marginalised and underserved communities. Within an additional €300m for affordability, accessibility and educators’ wages, this would set us on an ambitious track to meet the UNICEF target of 1% of national income by 2030. This could be a gamechanger for families, educators, and especially women, who are disproportionately impacted by the lack of accessible and affordable early childhood education and care.

“Women are at greater risk of energy poverty due to their lower average incomes. Lone parents, older women living alone, disabled people and carers are among those particularly at risk. Action to tackle energy poverty and deliver energy justice must be focused on those on low-incomes, marginalised communities and those in private rental accommodation. Delivering on the Programme for Government commitment to extend the Fuel Allowance to those on Working Family Payment in this Budget is a key step in the right direction and must be backed up by significant investment in retrofitting schemes for those particularly at risk of energy poverty.

“Now is the time for ambitious, visionary action — for seizing this opportunity to reform our State’s structures and investment for a more just, gender-equal Ireland. Budget 2026 must lay down a strong marker for this, with equality at its core."

Find here NWC’s Pre-Budget Submission: https://www.nwci.ie/images/uploads/NWC_Pre-Budget_Submission_2026_FINAL.pdf