Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

We will engage in a budget process in the coming weeks, and affordability for students will be a key component of that in terms of trying to continue the permanent changes that were made in recent years. That is the context in which every Government Minister will engage as part of budget 2026. We need to respect that. The measures will be outlined on budget day in October.

On the overall trade environment, the disruption caused by tariffs has been significant since January and has created huge uncertainty in the Irish economy. The changes to the treatment of corporate tax as part of the OECD process bring significant uncertainty. We take those risks seriously. There was discussion during the election campaign about President Trump and the impact the overall trend of deglobalisation would have on the Irish economy. If there are changes to the economic context, the Government or anyone in the political sphere must respond in that context. We want to prioritise the continued affordability of public services for citizens across the State and continue the progress we have made in budget 2026.

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