The Minster for Finance has insisted there will be no repeat of last year’s once-off cost of living measures, but other permanent supports will be put in place in next month’s Budget.

Speaking at the Oireachtas Budgetary Oversight Committee, Paschal Donohoe said inflation has normalised, although the Government understands that prices have risen.

“Government is fully aware of the impact inflation has had on businesses and households throughout the country over recent years,” he said.

“Inflation has now returned to normal rates, but we are acutely conscious that price levels have risen in recent years, especially for necessities such as food. In this Budget, we will provide cost of living supports that are sustainable and permanent.”

Mr Donohoe told the Committee the economy is resilient, the public finances are in good shape and Modified Domestic Demand which measures activity in the domestic economy grew 4% in the first half of 2025.

However, he said it is not a time for complacency and the rate of growth of current spending has to be moderated. He also spoke the danger of over reliance on corporation tax receipts.

“Ireland must remain a top destination for multinational firms. These corporation tax revenues helped fund Government’s extraordinary response to the pandemic and the cost of living challenge,” he said.

“Nonetheless, I have warned on many occasions about the risks of overreliance on corporation tax. A highly concentrated tax base presents an inherent risk to sustainable public finances.

“Ten companies account for well over half of all corporate tax receipts. A negative shock to these companies would also negatively impact VAT and income tax revenues.”

Mr Donohoe said Budget 2026 is coming at a time of great uncertainty and the disruption of internationally settled trade rules will damage Ireland’s economic growth.

He said, however, the economy is fundamentally resilient.

Budget 2026 will be announced in the Dáil on 7 October by the Mr Donohoe and the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services and Reform, Jack Chambers.

The energy regulator is to probe an electricity supplier for claiming upcoming hefty price increases were regulator-sanctioned and “unavoidable”.

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) said it would investigate the claims by Energia to see if they were misleading or breached the customer code of conduct.

Energia’s price rise on October 9th will add on average €200 to an annual household bill, far more than the CRU has indicated it will require.

Energia’s explanation, published on the company website, was brought to the CRU’s attention by Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore.

She told a CRU delegation at a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy on Wednesday she found the company’s tactic “offensive”.

She read from its explanation, which said: “While Energia has worked to minimise the impact on customers, these price changes are now unavoidable due to ongoing, substantial increases in electricity system operator and network charges.

“These regulatory-approved, non-energy charges, which are applied to electricity suppliers, are required to recover the costs of ensuring security of supply, addressing network constraints and investing in the electricity grid.”

The CRU, in its most recent price review, indicated it would sanction an increase of around just €16 annually in ‘non-energy charges’ to assist with grid improvements.

“I find that offensive, that they are actually trying to sell their price increases to customers by essentially blaming improvements in the grid and network security,” Ms Whitmore said.

Committee chair, Fine Gael TD Naoise O’Muirí, added his concerns.

“A company that you regulate is effectively blaming you for a much larger price increase that cannot be substantiated,” he told CRU chair Jim Gannon.

Mr Gannon undertook to raise the issue with Energia and question the rationale for the price increase.

Energia has been contacted for comment.

The company is one of several to announce price increases at a time when energy bill arrears are at what the CRU said were “historically high levels”.

Just under 300,000 households are in electricity arrears and more than 183,000 in gas arrears.

The regulator also updated the committee on the long-awaited decision on the future of new data centres, signalling a potential delay.

Restrictions on the connection of data centres to the electricity grid have effectively acted as a moratorium on new development since 2021.

They were introduced because of the enormous strain data centres were placing on the electricity supply, particularly in built-up areas.

A new policy setting out where and how data centres may set up was thought to be imminent.

However, the meeting heard there were over 80 submissions from interested parties to analyse.

“The anticipated publication date is therefore subject to fully addressing the complexity of the detailed submissions received,” Mr Gannon said.

Europe Editor Tony Connelly and cameraman Bram Verbeke report from Turmus Ayya and al-Mughayyir in the West Bank where locals report the continued expansion of Israel settlements and the destruction of local farms.

The ancient olive groves of the West Bank, the ideal retirement for a Palestinian-US citizen returning from California.

But, since 7 October, Israeli settlers from across the valley have intimidated Yasser Alkam from accessing his father’s legacy in Turmus Ayya.

Mr Alkam said he legally owns the land, adding that he has the paperwork and a title document for it.

However, in one incident, he said a gun was drawn on him, during which he was told “leave or else”.

The legal rights count for little, as settlers seizing or destroying the olive groves are backed by the Israeli military, who mount nightly patrols around Mr Alkam’s neighbourhood and appear by day to support the expansion towards his town.

He noted that, two weeks ago, there was “one single tent” nearby, but added that currently there are two.

“One on the right side of the street and one on the left side of the street,” he said.

“It continues to spread out closer and closer to the town,” he added.

A settler witnessed the RTÉ News interview with Mr Alkam, and launched a drone that duly appeared and hovers above the interaction.

Watch: Drone hovers overhead while RTÉ News interviews Palestinian farmer in West Bank

Mr Alkum’s olive trees remain intact for now, but another village, 6km away, has not been so fortunate – as fresh settler outposts have sprung up.

There are two new and illegal outposts on the hills near the village.

But the real dispossession has happened in the valley, where hundreds of hectares of land were uprooted by bulldozers.

Over 10,000 olive trees were destroyed and taken away, according to the locals.

Locals say a confrontation with settlers last month triggered an assault by two busloads of military and settlers equipped with bulldozers.

Deputy head of the al-Mughayyir municipality Marzouq Abu Naem said the destroyed olive trees “would have provided 5,000 gallons of olive oil, each gallon worth $150”.

“All this income has gone, just like the olive trees themselves,” he said.

Mr Naem said the trees “represented our history, our culture”.

He added that people “collapsed in grief” when they saw the trees were gone.

Not long after RTÉ News visited, locals said settlers attacked again.

A local man was wounded and he later died of his injuries.

The funeral was held today.

Clashes between settlers and Palestinians have grown ever more deadly as Israel defiantly shrugs off international outrage over Gaza and turns its attention on the parched hills of the West Bank.