Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Chambers, on his first budget.

This budget was framed as a budget for families and alleviating the cost-of-living. While there are aspects that are welcome, the measures barely scratch the surface of what is required to help ordinary families. We cannot celebrate economic growth when many are left behind.

First, I will touch on housing. The Government has acknowledged the housing crisis, but its proposed measures are inadequate to address the challenges. Rents rising by 27%, record homelessness and an increasing housing list reflect the failure to provide affordable options. Recent figures show that 14,486 people, including 4,417 children, live in emergency accommodation.

Record house prices, record rents and promises of increased housing supply have not translated into urgent actions. The Housing for All plan has proven ineffective and the ongoing housing crisis continues to leave more families struggling to find a home. Although the Government increased the rent tax credit, the budget failed to increase the housing targets to address the rental property shortage, leaving renters with fewer options and unaffordable rents. The Housing for All plan is overly reliant on the private market and vulture funds, with no measures to curb this. A thorough plan is necessary to tackle the affordability crisis, which should include funding for public housing, rent regulation and enhanced tenant protections. Without initiatives like rent freezes and preventing landlords profiteering, housing will continue to be unaffordable. Ultimately, home ownership has collapsed. The average age of ownership is 39. This budget lacks a clear strategy for expanding the rental stock, exacerbating the crisis and affecting students, young professionals and families. Young people are either living in their childhood home or emigrating.

Second, I would like to discuss health and mental health. When we look at the healthcare allocations in this budget, it is clear that the Government is once again focused on firefighting rather than structural reform. No-one would argue against better resources, but we cannot continue to pour money into a broken system without reforming the way it works. Our health service is under immense strain with record waiting times, overwhelmed emergency departments and critical shortages of staff. To fix this, we need a complete overhaul of how we deliver healthcare. We must move towards a universal, single-tier healthcare system where access to care is based on need, not the ability to pay. This budget should have committed to a bold plan to make healthcare free at the point of use, as promised under the long-delayed Sláintecare plan. Instead, we see piecemeal funding increases that will not address the root causes of the crisis in our health system. Waiting lists are symptoms of deeper structural issues, poor resource management and a lack of co-ordinated care between hospitals and community services. This budget needed to focus on a strategy to streamline services, improve management practices and ensure that patients receive timely, quality care. We also need to address the chronic shortages in healthcare professionals by providing better pay, conditions and opportunities for training and development to attract and retain staff. In my constituency of Louth and east Meath, there is a lack of GPs, orthodontists, neurologists and psychologists. Community healthcare organisation, CHO, 8 is one of only two CHOs in the country that has not received funding for a community neurorehabilitation team. This list goes on.

Furthermore, mental health services are overstretched and underfunded, with long waiting lists and inadequate support for young people. I will acknowledge the progress made with reforms to the Mental Health Act. Passing laws is not enough, however. We need action, implementation and resources. What percentage of the health budget will go to mental health? Is it likely to remain stagnant at 5% to 6%? We need ring-fenced funding for mental health to ensure it does not get swallowed up by other competing priorities and ensure full alignment with the goals set out in the Mental Health Act. That means increasing investment in mental health infrastructure and training and ensuring that services are accessible, particularly in rural Ireland. Additionally, we must prioritise early intervention programmes and community-based mental health services, which can prevent issues from escalating into crises.

At this point, I would like to touch on carers and people with a disability. The €12 per week increase in all social welfare rates in the new year, an increase in the carer's support grant to €2,000, a €200 living alone lump sum and a range of cost-of-living payments for carers and pensioners between now and Christmas are welcome. However, these once-off payments do not come close to covering the additional costs carers absorb, such as medical equipment, home adaptations and transportation. Carers save the State billions of euro each year. The means test overlooks the emotional, physical and financial burdens of caregiving. The Regional Group motion last week called upon the Government to implement the unanimous recommendation of the joint Oireachtas committee on social protection to set a roadmap for a non-means tested participation income for family carers by 2027. While I will acknowledge the increase in the means income disregard, one of the greatest oversights in this budget is the lack of meaningful reform to the carer’s allowance means test as it is gender-biased and no longer fit for purpose. The abolition of the means test and its replacement with a participation income based on the valuable work family carers make in our society would have been welcome for thousands of carers, lifting them out of poverty and provided essential support.

Similarly, the Government has failed to provide sufficient support for people with disabilities, which the Regional Group highlighted in our pre-budget meeting. Although there are small increases in disability allowances, this falls far short of covering the additional €9,000 to €12,000 per year incurred by a disabled person. There is still no comprehensive national strategy to address accessibility, independence and the provision of adequate services for those living with disabilities.

Finally, the budget's minor business supports, and the unchanged 13.5% VAT rate are Government failures, risking closure for many food-led businesses. It falls short of what is required to ensure our SMEs remain competitive and viable in an increasingly challenging economic landscape. What this budget needed was a targeted package of supports for SMEs, incorporating tax reliefs with access to low-interest loans and grants to help them transition to more sustainable and digital operations. We should have empowered SMEs with the tools they need to innovate, grow and create jobs rather than leaving them vulnerable to further economic shocks.

To conclude, I recognise and welcome the measures introduced by the Government today, which will offer short-term benefits. However, I urge greater reform and investment across the various sectors instead of once-off splurges to ensure basic rights and reduce poverty in the long term. Everything I said is what is actually happening on the ground.

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