As past of Tuesday’s Budget 2017 announcement, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has confirmed that the price of some of our favourite vices will go up.
The Minister announced that the price of a pack of cigarettes would go up by 50c at midnight, bringing the standard price of a pack to €11.
The tax on sugar will be delayed, and will mirror a similar move by the United Kingdom. This tax is set to be implemented from April 2018 – giving us all ample time to kick our dependency.
The announcement of the relatively significant price hike on cigarettes drew one of the largest responses from the opposition in the Dáil, many of whom seemed to cough in displeasure. They weren’t the only ones either, many Twitter users didn’t take the news well.
Sugar and cigarettes hit in #Budget2017… Glad I kicked my Chocarillo habit years ago. pic.twitter.com/0JY56nQTRk
— Martyn Rosney (@rosney) October 11, 2016
Wow €11 for a pack of cigarettes from Midnight. That's €308 per month for someone with a 20 a day habit. #Budget2017
— James Cooke (@ricblaine72) October 11, 2016
50c hike in the price of 20 cigarettes #Budget2017 pic.twitter.com/7RNGqPiYNo
— Mo Dalton (@_mo_fficial) October 11, 2016
"I taxed the sugar with some cigarettes but I didn't touch the Chianti." – Michael Noonan
#Budget2017 pic.twitter.com/VUq1T8xl5d— Pauline Murphy (@RealPMurphy) October 11, 2016
The 50c on the cigs a bit much. Means 20 will cost €11.20. Glad I don't smoke. #Budget2017
— Charlie Weston (@CWeston_Indo) October 11, 2016
Some were a little bit happier to see the price go up:
https://twitter.com/timbcaycgi/status/785829384884219905
However, the government avoided taxing areas that usually see increases in the annual budget. Petrol, diesel and alcohol have all remained untouched. The tax on cigarettes, in fact, is only tax increase Ireland will see between 2016 and its next budget.
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