Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

The House gathers today less than a year since the last general election, as the Taoiseach reminds us, and just over 250 days since the Government was formed. The Thirty-fourth Dáil sits at a time of global uncertainty and geopolitical turbulence. It was in this context that the people made their choice at the last election and the resultant Dáil has very serious business to do on their behalf. We have just seen the first of five budgets which will seek to create the conditions for our country to maintain a strong economy, protect jobs, improve public services and build for our future. We are making a record investment in housing and infrastructure and we are pulling every policy lever at our disposal to dramatically address this major challenge.

The Department of Health now has a budget of over €27 billion, and this record allocation is being accompanied by a significant programme of reform to enable faster and fairer care. The level of investment in disability services this year is truly a step change compared with all previous years, and it needs to be. The Government is deeply committed to overseeing delivery and making sure this huge financial investment actually makes a difference in the lives of people who so desperately need it.

These are some of the major issues of concern to the Irish public and their expectation is that we will be relentless in making progress and working together on these matters. In my experience, most Members of this House seek to work constructively to do just that. I have always endeavoured to work on many issues on a cross-party basis. It is often when we do our best work. I can think of examples such as Sláintecare and referendum campaigns. More recently, I was glad to work with Members across the House to support Irish citizens on the Global Sumud Flotilla.

In every capacity in which I have served, I have always taken responsibility and accounted for my actions before this House and before the Seanad, in committees, in public and, crucially, at the ballot box. I have acknowledged time and again that we are not where we need to be in addressing ongoing deficits in the care of children in spinal services, despite the sincere efforts of successive Ministers, Governments and taoisigh.

I am very conscious of the tragic loss of Harvey Morrison Sherratt and I have expressed directly my deep sorrow to his parents, Gillian and Stephen. In recent times, further significant concerns have been raised in relation to spinal services and I, the Minister for Health, the Taoiseach and the Government have responded by saying we must listen to and work with parents and advocacy groups who are highlighting hugely worrying and important issues. We must humbly listen and act. This has been the purpose of my engagement with Harvey's family and other parent advocates. It has been what the Taoiseach, the Minister and I have been working on over the last number of weeks. Like Members across the House, I have been overwhelmed by the passion and determination of these families, who have already been through so much but are acting out of a deep commitment to getting better care for others.

Members of all political parties and Independent colleagues attended a briefing in the audiovisual room yesterday, as did the Minister for Health, and heard the most distressing and convincing testimony supporting the need for an inquiry. All Members who attended and spoke at the briefing were united and constructive in their response. We have agreed to work in partnership on the structure of an inquiry into spina bifida and scoliosis services, with a further meeting to take place shortly with Gillian and Stephen and representative groups. In this House, the Government will work with anyone who wants to work constructively to make progress on this matter. That is my priority in responding to these important matters and I know it is the priority of the entire Government.

When the Government came into office in January of this year, we promised to put people before politics. It was and remains our commitment to service, to responsibility and to the belief that public office carries with it a duty to enter Government and use our time as elected representatives to deliver progress. On the day the Government was formed, Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and our Independent colleagues made a conscious choice. We set aside differences, not because it was easy but because it was the right thing to do for our country. Over the course of the past nine months, we have set about honouring the democratic mandate given to us by the Irish people.

Acting on this mandate, we have launched the largest capital plan in the history of the State, investing €102.4 billion over the next five years. It is a plan built not on headlines but on homes, hospitals, schools, transport and the foundations of a fair economy. One in every three euro in that plan is dedicated to housing because we know that without a secure home, no other part of a person's life can truly take root. To make this funding deliver requires reform of planning, land use, construction, finance and local delivery - the key enablers. We have introduced rent pressure zones nationwide, providing certainty and stability. We have changed apartment standards and introduced a series of measures in last week's budget to stimulate supply and tackle vacancy and dereliction. Shortly, we will publish a new housing plan, which will reaffirm the Government's commitment to deliver the homes our country needs.

I know a republic is judged not just by what it builds but by how it cares, and in the area of disability we have so much work to do. We have sought to, and we must, move beyond aspiration to action. I am pleased the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, have overseen a record level of investment in disability services, with an increase of over €618 million in extra funding in last week's budget. What matters now is how we use it.

We have been engaging directly with parents, carers, advocates and people such as Cara Darmody, listening to their voices and trying to act on what they tell us. We have doubled the fund dedicated to assisting parents accessing assessments of need. We are trying to listen and respond. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, has established a national therapy service, putting therapists in special schools, with the roll-out in 45 schools this year and more to follow. It is a start, not a finish, and we will and must go further. I have long believed, and I know the Taoiseach has long believed, that children with additional needs should not have to fight the system for the services they need. The system must be changed to support them. We are working every day to make this a reality.

In my own direct areas of responsibility of foreign affairs and defence, we have continued to stand shoulder to shoulder with those in crisis, with the people of Ukraine defending their sovereignty and with civilians in Gaza facing intolerable suffering.

Ireland's voice on the world stage has remained rooted in human rights, peace and humanitarian law. We have provided record levels of assistance because neutrality can never mean indifference. Compassion must be matched by action. In defence, we have delivered record funding to our Defence Forces and are on the trajectory to reach level of ambition 2. This is not simply about equipment; it is about respect for the men and women of Óglaigh na hÉireann, who serve and respond in storms, at sea, in search and rescue operations and in peacekeeping missions. They are often unseen but never unnoticed.

Throughout my time in public life, as Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Minister for Health, Minister for further and higher education, Minister for Justice, Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence, I have always tried to work hard in service of the people. I have never claimed to be infallible but I do act in good faith. When I err and make mistakes, I acknowledge them. I do not always get everything right, but let us distinguish scrutiny from cynicism and accountability from opportunism. Let us reduce the toxicity in political debate. I respect every Member of this House because each one carries a mandate directly from the Irish people. We must not permit the framing of debate to be decided by those who view politics as a zero-sum game composed of confrontation rather than conviction. Political leadership matters. It matters whether we lean towards polarisation or towards solidarity. It matters whether we cultivate division or seek to build on what unites us. Our priority, my priority, remains the same. It is to work to build a country in which every person, regardless of their starting point, has the support and opportunity to live with dignity. That must be our North Star. We are not satisfied that there are still many areas where we have significant deficiencies and major improvements to make. We must be restless to do more. We are committed to delivering and working in partnership and in good faith. That is the duty of Government and the duty that guides me each and every day. It will continue to do so as this Government fulfils the mandate given to us by the Irish people and as I continue to fulfil mine.

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