Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

-----and an €810 million capital allocation will fund key infrastructure projects, including the following: the recently established Taighde Éireann will be supported to drive excellence in research, attract international research talent and promote knowledge transfer; student accommodation projects at Maynooth University and University College Dublin; development and operation of 11 technological university facilities covering 70,000 sq. m and supporting STEM and related disciplines; two new veterinary medicine colleges to almost double the number of veterinary graduates; and the progression of centres of excellence for retrofit skills, including near-zero energy buildings and the national demonstration park for modern methods of construction under Housing for All.

By nurturing talent, we can strengthen our nation's competitiveness on the global stage, ensuring that a thriving enterprise sector is at the heart of our economic resilience.

ENTERPRISE AND DIGITALISATION

A Cheann Comhairle, this Government is committed to supporting our businesses. I am allocating €1.3 billion to the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment in 2026. This will fund: Enterprise Ireland to strengthen its capacity to support Irish businesses in scaling innovation, accessing global markets and creating high-quality, sustainable jobs; the IDA to continue to attract world class foreign direct investment to our shores; the promotion of regional enterprise development through the local enterprise development offices; the establishment of a national artificial intelligence office to provide a focal point for the promotion and adoption of transparent and safe AI in Ireland; and delivery of action plans on market diversification, competitiveness and productivity. Some €233 million is also being provided under the tourism services programme, reflecting Government’s commitment and recognition of tourism as a vital driver of regional development and employment. This range of supports will enable us to fully capture strategic opportunities and enhance our position as a trading economy on the world stage.

GLOBAL AFFAIRS

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

We must also cement Ireland’s diplomatic presence and place on the world stage. As we witness the horror of the ongoing genocide taking place in Gaza, we must recommit our State to continue to use all our considerable diplomatic resources to support peace in our world. To support the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to do this in 2026, I am allocating €1.3 billion. This will: ensure that Ireland continues to expand our global footprint, with the number of missions abroad reaching 107 next year; boost our official development aid by €30 million in 2026; and support the implementation of Government’s action plan on market diversification.

Provision has been made in the overall budget ceiling for the requirements of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Specific funding allocations on this will be made available in due course.

As we enhance our role internationally, it is also important to consider our largest indigenous export sector, the agrifood sector.

Agriculture, Food and the Marine

At the heart of towns and villages across Ireland, agriculture and food production is a cornerstone of our economy. To continue to support this vital sector, I am allocating €2.3 billion to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. A sum of €85 million in additional funding will more than double the allocation for bovine TB eradication, enabling the roll-out of the bovine TB action plan and reducing the risk of outbreaks. Funding for the ACRES scheme will increase by €20 million, to reach €280 million in 2026, continuing to support over 53,000 farmers. Some €20 million will allow the continuation of the national sheep welfare scheme, which assists over 17,000 farmers; and €35 million will be provided to the World Food Programme, to support people affected by emergencies, conflict and climate change internationally.

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