Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

We all know our roles. That is useful. The main Opposition party has asked for universal one-off measures. The Social Democrats have asked us not to do that and to do targeted measures. I am telling the House that this Government will deliver a budget in October. We will set out the parameters of that budget in the summer economic statement, which I expect to be published next week. There will then be an opportunity to debate how best to get the composition of that right. I agree with Deputy Whitmore on this. We need to invest in key areas of infrastructure. She is right about the challenges that Uisce Éireann faces. She is right about the enabling infrastructure.

Deputies will see from Government in the revised national development plan next week a very significant increase in capital investment. It will enable a significant upward shift in investment in water, energy, housing and areas under pressure from a supply point of view like childcare and disability services. It is not about giving anybody a lecture on fiscal prudence. It is about saying thank God we are approaching this moment of economic instability with full employment, surpluses and, effectively, rainy-day funds. We have stood up in this House many times and people - not Deputy Whitmore, in fairness - have criticised my party and the Government for setting money aside for economic rainy days. That is looking like a better decision by the day. I agree we need targeted investments in infrastructure. The one-off measures served an important purpose at a time of extraordinarily high inflation but we made it very clear to the people in the election that, if returned to government, we were getting back to one budget each year and there would be space and capacity in that budget to make progress on many issues the Deputy and others would like to see progress on.

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