Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

B’fhéidir nach n-úsáidfidh mé an t-am iomlán but I am very grateful for the opportunity to speak on budget 2022 both as the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs and as a Deputy proudly representing the people of Meath East. It is a great privilege to represent the people in this Chamber, and I think about that every day.

Many of us may be feeling that privilege and responsibility even more, following our time in the convention centre, now that we have returned to representing the concerns and issues of our constituents in this Chamber. We are all rooted in our communities and we must consider the budget with the lives of our constituents in mind, while always, of course, having the national interest to the forefront. This budget is focused on health, housing, education and public services. It will reduce the cost of living and support hard-pressed families. Every household in Meath East and throughout the country will benefit in some way from the measures introduced in the budget.

Working families are stretched. Childcare costs have continued to rise year-on-year, with no meaningful policy change to tackle the issue. This budget marks a turning point in the State's approach to the early years and childcare sectors. An enhanced funding stream for childcare will improve pay and conditions for those working in the sector and prevent fee increases for parents. The eligibility criteria for the universal childcare subsidy is being extended to all children aged up to 15. The budget will extend GP care to six- and seven-year-olds. There will be increases in maternity and parental leave payments, and parent's benefit will be extended to give seven weeks' cover.

This budget shows Fianna Fáil's strong record on, and commitment to, education. The allocations in the budget will ensure smaller classes, with the pupil-teacher ratio going down again. There will be more and better school buildings, as we are seeing throughout Meath East, and more teaching staff to support our children's learning. The Minister, Deputy Foley, has secured an allocation to hire new teachers and SNAs, which will result in average pupil-teacher ratios in primary schools reducing to a record low of 24:1. There is provision for significant funding for ICT grants for schools, which is important, as well as the school transport scheme and school building projects. The delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS, programme will be extended, and an additional €4 million has been allocated to extend the hot school meals programme to more DEIS primary schools.

For those in third-level education, there are serious changes in the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grant scheme. The qualifying income threshold has been expanded by €1,000. For a large proportion of students in my constituency, the qualifying distance for the non-adjacent grant rate has been reduced from 45 km to 30 km. This will take a significant number of students in Meath East up to a much higher level of grant support, whether they are going to college in Dublin, Maynooth, Dundalk or even Athlone, and will have an enormous impact on people's lives in the constituency. Previously, students had to live at least 45 km from campus to qualify for the non-adjacent grant; that has been reduced to 30 km, as I said. This will mean grant support of up to €2,000 for all eligible students in receipt of SUSI grants.

The housing situation was at an all-time low before the pandemic. As we come out of the Covid period, that bad situation has been made worse. I know many people in Meath who have moved back to live with their parents because they are priced out of the housing market and unable to save while renting. Housing for All is a serious plan containing workable tasks that will change the situation completely. The budget starts the roll-out of that plan. We are providing the largest-ever multi-annual funding for a housing programme, amounting to in excess of €20 billion over the next five years. This unprecedented level of spending provides us with a massive housing budget.

Our healthcare system has been under enormous pressure over the past 18 months. There are more than 400 people in hospital with Covid-19 at this time. The pandemic has led to many people having their procedures cancelled or delayed. The budget will tackle that backlog. A total of €350 million has been allocated to help clear waiting lists. There will be 8,000 new full-time, permanent staff in the health service. There are also a number of new initiatives. For too long, we have failed the women of Ireland when it comes to healthcare provision. This budget marks a turning point in that regard. There is free contraception provision for those aged 17 to 25. There are plans to tackle period poverty, and funding for the national maternity strategy. A total of €16 million is being allocated to women's healthcare through budgets for cancer care, mental health provision and social inclusion, including funding to develop a perinatal model of care.

In his speech on Wednesday, the Taoiseach acknowledged the work of the EU in delivering on its promise to give Ireland fast and fair access to vaccines on the same basis as larger countries. The pandemic has not gone away but our vaccine roll-out has played a major role in allowing us to move forward with this progressive budget, which will underpin our economic recovery from the Covid crisis. I am proud of the role I played in this regard as Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, working on the General Affairs Council in Brussels.

I want to comment briefly on the budget commitment to support A Career for EU. In the programme for Government, we committed to bring forward a strategy to increase the number of young Irish people working in the EU institutions and agencies. I published the A Career for EU strategy during my first year in office and I am delighted that the budget has committed to providing €1.25 million towards its implementation, specifically to double the number of seconded national experts working in the EU.

The Opposition should give an honest appraisal of the budget. It makes fools of the people to suggest that somehow the Government can meet every need immediately, we do not need plans and we can do it all in one day. Money does not grow on trees and the public understands that. Choices have to be made, and the choices that were made in this budget are ones that overwhelmingly favour those who are struggling, people in the poorer sectors of society and those who most need the help of the State. We are spending money in a way that supports economic recovery, opportunity and our future prosperity. As the Taoiseach said in his address, political cynicism and opportunism is the defining characteristic of Sinn Féin's approach to politics. The public will see past its rhetoric. Closing hospitals in the North of Ireland while campaigning for the opposite to happen in this State is one of many examples of its cynicism. I am proud to be part of the Government that has brought forward this budget. I have no doubt it will be of great benefit to the people of Meath East. I support it and commend it to the Dáil, which is the House of the people.

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