Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

Every year Government is faced with the challenge of balancing finite resources with infinite ambition to make things better for the people of Ireland. No single budget can deliver that in full but budget 2026 certainly rises to the challenge. I thank everyone involved in putting together this budget, in particular officials in my Department and the Department of Finance who worked around the clock over these past few weeks to make this budget happen. They worked over the weekend, late into the night and indeed early into Tuesday morning. This budget protects and creates employment, strengthens our economy and lays the foundations for long-term strategic investment in our country. It does so while supporting our most vulnerable people. It provides targeted, permanent supports. The 1.5 million people receiving weekly social welfare protection payments will welcome the increase of €10 a week. That includes people with disabilities, carers, jobseekers, lone parents and our pensioners. Our older people will of course also benefit from improved public services and more capacity in our hospitals and nursing homes, as well as a significant increase in home support hours which will enable more people to live for longer and more independently in their homes.

I particularly welcome the significant increases to the carer's allowance income disregard and an increase in the domiciliary care allowance payment to support Ireland's carers. This budget provides an increase of 19% in the disability budget. That includes everything from new residential care placements and day service places for those who need them, along with funding for assessment, home support and personal assistance, which will bring welcome relief to those caring for people with disabilities and will support people with disabilities to live independently in their own homes.

Additional SNAs and an increased number of teachers and of teachers working specifically to support students with additional needs are also welcome. We need to ensure that the money invested in disability works for service users in the best possible way. I welcome the review of these services that was outlined in the budget yesterday. The same goes for Ireland's health service. The reforms outlined in the budget for the HSE are to be welcomed, as are the new acute hospital and community beds which were announced yesterday. Patients can also expect digitalisation to play an increasing role in supporting their well-being. The wider deployment of the HSE care app will give patients secure access to their health information, and virtual wards will allow patients to receive care from home. These are fantastic initiatives which showcase the power of digitalisation to improve public services.

In today's Ireland, families come in many forms. We are committed to supporting them all. The significant increase in the standard capitation rates paid to all schools is a welcome change for children and staff. The delivery of hundreds of school building projects will enhance educational experiences for our children and young people across the country. Increases to the working family income threshold, the expansion of the back to school clothing and footwear payment and the extension of the fuel allowance scheme to those on the working family payment will bring welcome relief for families around the country.

Housing remains one of the most pressing challenges we face. Budget 2026 builds on the revised €275 million national development plan, with significant investment in housing, schools, healthcare, water, energy, transport and infrastructure. It is clear from this budget that our Government's priority is to strengthen the foundations for housing delivery and build more homes for our people. We do that while we also support infrastructure. This budget supports the delivery of thousands of new build social homes and supports second-hand acquisition programmes as well as delivering for key investments. Housing and infrastructure are key goals in this budget. It strengthens our economic resilience through investment in digitalisation and skills and supports local businesses, food and the agri sector. We have benefits for sport, culture, heritage, communication and, overall, any fair analysis of this budget will say that it reflects the values. It is inclusive, compassionate and forward-looking. It balances economic strength with social progress and delivers for our people.

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