The Government is preparing to unleash a massive €10billion in budget bonuses next week.
The bonanza will be funded primarily from buoyant tax returns this year which are ahead of schedule and should see a surplus of more than €6billion for the year.
The Budget will see measures worth almost €6.5billion announced on Tuesday, while a separate cost-of-living package is tipped to give back at least €3billion into people’s pockets.
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach has warned he will get tough on energy companies that try to boost their profits by hiking up standing charges.
Standing charges hit consumers regardless of how frugal they are with energy.
There is already expected to be windfall taxes on profits.
Mr Martin was speaking in New York before addressing the UN General Assembly.
Mr Martin said he will take on the energy companies if they step out of line on standing charges.
He said: “In terms of the increased revenues that energy companies are receiving because of the crisis, yes we will take measures in the context of the European framework in terms of a windfall gain.
“The State will procure some of that windfall gain and allocate that back to consumers and households.
“In relation to standing charges, we will be examining that also. There is no room for energy companies to exploit this situation in any shape or form and I would be concerned by any increase in standing charges in terms of how they would impact the public.”
The Irish Mirror asked Mr Martin if he would consider groceries credits - similar to the energy credits - or food stamps for struggling families.
He responded: “No, the more general approach will be in terms of providing
financial support across different instruments that we have at our disposal.
“Only this week paediatric charges inpatient charges have been abolished, that will save any family with a child going into hospital up to €800 a year.
“We’ve already waived transport fees, for school transport, which has saved families €650, so we’d be looking at further areas there where we can reduce costs across the board really in terms of how we give people some extra resource.”
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein is proposing a tax on private jets as part of their alternative budget to be unveiled today.
The jet set would be hit with fees of €3,000 per jet and the opposition party calculates this would bring in €18million a year to spend on climate action measures.
The party’s climate action and transport spokesman, Darren O’Rourke TD,said the tax on private jet use, recognises “the very negative impact this method of luxury travel is having on our carbon emissions.”
He highlighted that Ireland has the 10th highest pollution from private jets across Europe.
“A private jet can emit the same level of carbon dioxide in four hours that the average person in the European Union produces over an entire year.”
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