Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)

I am very familiar with the work of the LauraLynn foundation and the really important care and support it provides to young children. On the Deputy’s particular request for multiannual funding, I do not believe the budget will deliver that. This House passes budgets year by year. It is therefore very difficult, and I do not believe it should happen, that we can give current funding commitments that go beyond the budgetary commitments of a single year. The only places that we make multiannual funding available are with regard to capital investment but that is needed to deliver big projects that we all depend on. What we do see happen in core funding and current funding in general is year by year it does go up. I cannot comment on what is going to happen with regard to LauraLynn for 2026 because it all depends on the budget.

I recognise the work it does and I am explaining why multiannual funding is just something that is, for good reason, difficult for us to commit to.

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