The budget will help people with the rising cost of living, but cannot add to existing inflationary pressures, according to the Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe.
Speaking in Dublin at the launch of a new Digital Inclusion Roadmap, the minister said the Government will have a certain amount of money available in the budget for tax measures and it will not be able to do everything.
"We can help with the many pressures that are building on the cost of living," he said in response to a question about calls from the opposition for the introduction of mortgage interest relief.
"We really appreciate that for many at the moment, the rising interest rates and inflation continuing to go up places so much pressure on so many, and we have looked to help to respond back to the rising cost of living, with a variety of different measures, both in last year's budget and since then."
"But the Minister [for Finance] and the Government and the party leaders have not made any decisions yet in relation to individual and specific matters in the budget, and they won't make those decisions until early October."
Regarding calls for further help for those renting to meet the rising cost of rent, Mr Donohoe said that is also a budget matter.
"The Minister for Finance has already recognised the needs that the rental sector has and has indicated that this is an area that he will consider," Mr Donohoe said.
"In last year's budget, I brought in the first ever rent tax credit and made it available for 2022 for 2023 in recognition of the huge challenges that tenants will face."
"But the future of those kind of credits is a matter for Minister McGrath and I'll fully support him in any decision that he makes on those matters. But we are some time away from making a decision on it."
"But we do recognise...that the cost of living is such a challenge for so many."
In relation to suggestions of the idea of a windfall tax on bank profits as they benefit from rising interest rates, the minister said there is already a levy in place on the banking sector which has been there since the global financial crisis.
He said it is designed to ensure that as banks became profitable the taxpayer would be able to ensure benefits from the return to profitability.
Mr Donohoe added that it's a matter for the Minister for Finance in relation to the future of that levy.
The minister also said the handling of interest rates are commercial decisions for banks themselves and have to be made independently by them.
But he added that the Government wants to see interest rates and their changes also passed on to savers, just as they are passed on to borrowers.
