Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I commend the budget to the House. It is a prudent and wise budget and is the right budget at the right time. We have made real progress in recent years, and it is important that our country makes the right decisions to protect that progress for the future. As a Fine Gael-led Government, we are concerned with protecting that future. The plans we have been investing in for the past couple of years - the science strategy, the skills strategy, the housing strategy, the jobs strategy and Project Ireland 2040 - are about long-term thinking and future-proofing the country. It is this investment in our country's talent and its young people through education and job creation that will protect the country's future.

The near future could see a no-deal Brexit. I hope that will not happen, but we are ready for it. The budget will see us through next year regardless of what comes our way. It is a prudent and well-balanced budget. It does not give false hope about next year or put more money into people's pockets that will only have to be taken back in a few months' time. This budget is careful and right. That is what is important. When heading into times of crisis not too long ago, we had budgets that gave people false hope. They then made spending commitments based on that. For example, people took out long-term mortgages only to be left in a mess years later. We have moved on from those times towards proper and prudent budgeting and management of the public finances. That is why the finances are well balanced this year and why we are being careful about investing across the system.

Before discussing my Department, I will touch on how the budget will have an impact on some local issues, the first of which is health. From speaking to our constituents, we all know the major pressures people are under in terms of home help and respite care. The additional money in this budget, which will deliver an extra 1 million hours of home help, will help people in every county - in my case, Meath and Westmeath - who are under pressure trying to mind their loved ones and need extra help from the State. The increase will make a major difference in that regard. In Meath West, we have also been fighting for many years for extra resources for respite care. This care is mainly for young adults and teenagers whose families need a little break. I am glad that there will be an increase in funding for respite care, which should leave us in a position through the HSE to see the purpose-built facility in Athboy opened and made available to families who need respite care. This would be major progress.

The budget continues to invest in roads, with an increase of 10% for roads, schools, transport infrastructure and all of the various facilities we need if we are to invest in our country. Last year saw a 25% increase in capital expenditure. This year will see a 10% increase, which will have an impact in Meath West, and rightly so, given that we need it.

I mentioned investing in education. We have seen some major changes in this regard, with the largest education budget ever. Money is now available to secure the schools that were announced in recent years for my area of Meath West and that are now going through planning. They are mainly located around Navan and Enfield. The money will ensure that, when they pass through the planning stage, construction can start. The Minister, Deputy McHugh, has increased the capitation grant by 2.5%. This is badly needed and will be spent well on our children's future. That we probably have the largest number of primary school teachers ever means we are making inroads into the pupil-teacher ratio. I accept that we still have much work to do, but we are going the right way. The Minister, Deputy McHugh, is securing that trend. Doing so is important, as we all understand that early intervention is important.

The numbers in respect of small schools have changed so as to make it easier to secure an extra teacher or retain current teachers. We remember how, seven or eight years ago, there was great pressure on small schools. Thankfully, those days are behind us. The extra release day for teaching principals is important, as it will free them up to work as principals by getting in substitutes. Great progress is being made in respect of education. It must continue. In my area, St. Mary's special school has been waiting a long time for a new building. The budget secures the money for that to happen. We are making the necessary progress.

The budget will have a major impact on housing locally and nationally. Next year, Meath County Council will be in a position to provide more than 1,000 houses to families who need them. This number will build on the 1,200 the council delivered last year and the 1,000 it will deliver this year. Likewise, Westmeath County Council will be in a position to deliver 700 or 800 houses for the locality. Doing this is important.

Nationally, this is the largest housing budget the State has ever seen, and rightly so. One of the major issues facing us is the housing situation. It affects people of all categories. We are intervening in many areas. There is an increase of 11% in this housing budget, which will put us in a position to deliver more than 11,000 new social houses. The big demand in the Dáil has always been for 10,000, but that number will be reached this year. Next year's budget will bring the number to 11,000.

Through the use of the housing assistance payment, HAP, and other rental subsidy schemes, more than 27,000 families will get a set of keys. They will be helped in that by the taxpayer through our Department and local authorities, which will work with approved housing bodies to deliver those houses. This is real progress. Since yesterday, I have listened to speech after speech telling the House that the HAP is a bad use of money. To be clear, the HAP will help 65,000 families to be in homes by the end of this year.

I have repeatedly asked Deputies to suggest a different short-term solution while we build social housing. We are in favour of building social housing. We are committed to delivering more than 55,000 new social houses by the end of 2021 under our plans but we recognise that we still need other solutions in the short term. The HAP scheme is a success and provides people with homes. If Members do not like it, they should outline what they would do with 65,000 families and where they would be housed this year, next year and the following year while we replenish the social housing stock.

I will conclude by referring to one statistic. In 2006, more than 90,000 houses were built. Fewer than 5,000 of those were social houses. That is the reason we have a shortage of social housing. Next year, we will build approximately 25,000 houses and more than 11,000 of them will be social housing units. That is the difference. That is a commitment to social housing. I ask those who will be in government in the future to remember that. We must continue to invest in social housing at all times, not to have the on-off supply of such housing that we have seen in the past.

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