Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I am due to be sharing time with other Deputies, who will no doubt be here imminently. We are splitting 25 minutes between four of us.

On a serious note, before I commence this debate, I sincerely and personally commend the work of the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, who has left the Chamber. That sentiment was echoed by the Ceann Comhairle. Her closing line was an appeal to men of my generation - I am a man of a certain age - to mind not only their own mental health but that of those around them. It cannot be said enough. I have no doubt that is a point on which we are all in agreement, regardless of which side of the Chamber we sit.

It is my pleasure to commend this budget to the House and to speak in favour of this financial resolution. As a Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, I am cognisant of the world around us. I am cognisant of exactly what is happening in countries around us, not just from a societal and political point of view, but also from an economic point of view. We stand at a juncture. Countries surrounding us are entering into effective recession. We are in the teeth of a global tariff war and see the return of protectionism. All of that is against the backdrop of a global economy still recovering from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and, indeed, continuing to reel from the economic outflow of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine and the cost-of-living issues that have impacted so many people. It is in that context that we witnessed a budget brought forward to this House, for the tenth year as either Minister for Finance or Minister for public expenditure, by Deputy Donohoe.

The budget is absolutely rooted in the principle of resilience. Listening to some of the commentary in this Chamber and beyond in recent days, it is amazing that a €9.4 billion package, focused on investment and balance, is somehow cravenly being labelled as an austerity budget. I was in these Houses as a staff member in the dark days coming out of the financial crash. It was not then about the possibility of cutting some spending. It was about cutting everything and the only question was by how much. We were at that time increasing all taxes and cutting all spending. The budget delivered this week by the Ministers, Deputies Donohoe and Chambers, will form the way for a financial resolution. We have already had votes on original motions and have a finance Bill making its way to the Government next week, which will be followed by a social welfare Bill. This is absolutely a budget of resilience that ensures there is investment. It is a pro-business budget. I say that sincerely.

It seems to some people that it is bad to be pro-business. Being pro-business is being pro-jobs and pro-profits. It is good for a business to make profit because as the Ceann Comhairle knows, as someone who ran her own business for long enough, the more profit you make, the more people you hire, the more tax you pay and the more funds go into the economy to pay for all the services that everyone requires. Some of us on this side of the House believe fundamentally in the social market economy. In order to make your society work, you need an economy that works. That is why I am not ashamed to say that this budget absolutely backs businesses of all sizes. It backs investment and will continue to do so. That level of resilience is going to be tested in the coming years, if it is not already being tested.

We have effective full employment. The economy continues to grow. There is continuing investment in the State.

Nearly 90,000 new jobs will be created this year. Quite frankly, we have the opportunities that other jurisdictions around us do not have. That does not happen by accident. It happens through hard work and sensible decisions. Every commitment made in the programme for Government that we have all signed up to will be delivered during the Government's five-year term. This is the first budget of five, and we will continue to push on.

I will take a few minutes to speak specifically to the areas within my remit, as a Minister of State at the Department of foreign affairs. The first is the diaspora. I am delighted that the budget for the emigrant support programme this year will increase by €1 million. Our diaspora is our greatest asset in so many ways. It is made up of the individuals and the descendants of individuals who had to leave this State during much more difficult times. Those were times of famine, civil conflict, double-digit rates of inflation, mass unemployment and a social system which did not respect the rights of minorities or women and which, in comparison with what we have today, did not involve decency. Many of them have found themselves in tough times and are reliant on the organisations that support them, be in Great Britain or, in particular, the United States. Many others are part of a second generation who dearly love this country, care for it and want to make sure they increase our business, artistic, sporting and societal impacts around the world. That is really important and is done through the work of the emigrant support programme.

More pertinently, I am delighted that at a time when so many western countries are cutting their aid budgets and overseas development aid, ODA, budgets, we in Ireland are saying very clearly that we are not doing so. At a time when the United States has completely abolished its aid budget, when the UK is moving from 0.5% to 0.3% and when traditional donors such as the Nordic countries and the Netherlands are cutting their aid budgets, Ireland will probably be the only EU country next year that will increase its ODA budget. The increase, by €30 million, will bring our ODA budget to €840 million next year. This is a record amount. It is 51 years since Dr. Garrett FitzGerald created Irish Aid, which will now have a record budget.

This is at a time when the world needs that record level of investment because many will give us their hot take to the effect that we are spending money on or giving it to people elsewhere. It has to be said that development and aid represent an investment. We think about the issues that confront some of our constituents on a daily basis, from grocery prices to energy security to the issue of irregular migration to radicalisation to the sheer uncertainty about the direction the world is taking. All of these stem from instability in the global south. While other countries are turning their backs and allowing other actors to fill the gap, Ireland is saying very clearly that we believe in investing at source. Rather than waiting until they come to our shores and dealing with them then, we will invest in communities overseas not just because it is the right thing to do - and it absolutely is - but also because it is in our interests. It is both the selfless and the selfish thing to do.

This investment is being made against a backdrop of so many countries turning their backs on the multilateral system. Ireland believes in the United Nations. Ireland believes in the European Union. Ireland has signed up to being a global contributor. We are now one of the 20 richest countries in the world. That is something that should not be taken for granted - it is not taken for granted - and we have to ensure that we deliver a budget that can maintain that level of resilience when so many other countries are looking to make cuts or increase taxes. We have a great opportunity in front of us for the next five years, but we face so many challenges. The only way we will face those challenges is with a resilient and strong budget. It is my privilege to commend this budget and this resolution to the House.

Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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To follow on from what the Minister of State said, this is a significant budget that involves expenditure of almost €117 billion and an additional package of €9.4 billion. Those are significant figures. It is about securing our future. Investment in key infrastructure is central to the budget, particularly infrastructure that will enable a continued supply of housing to be activated and progressed. That is critical. Also, we are securing our future by continuing to invest in two long-term funds, namely the Future Ireland Fund and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund, which are critical.

Specifically on housing, this is an area in which I, as spokesperson for my party, have a great interest in. Again, there is record funding going into housing as part of budget 2026. There is a 20% increase overall, and a budget of more than €7 billion that is broken down between €5 billion in capital expenditure and more than €2 billion in current expenditure. There is significant additional money of €200 million for Home Building Finance Ireland. Again, this is very important. The VAT measure in relation to new-build apartments is significant, and I welcome it. This has been characterised as a tax break for developers by the Opposition. Nothing could be further form the truth. As we know, VAT is paid by the purchaser of something. If apartments are not being built, there will not be any VAT collected. This is about ensuring we get the building of apartments under way at the scale we need for housing delivery. That is critically important. I welcome that, as well as the corporation tax change that is involved in this regard.

There is additional funding for the housing activation office of more than €200 million to ensure that it can do its work in unblocking some of the barriers in terms of housing supply. That is also something I very much welcome. There is also the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, funding of over €300 million. The new derelict sites tax is very important, although I would like to see it come in sooner. That is something I hope we can discuss further in the future. Changes to the living city initiative will be very important in terms of stimulating activity in our key urban areas. Measures such as the continuation of the renter's tax credit, mortgage interest relief and the recruitment of an additional 1,000 gardaí and 200 civilian staff to support them in their work are very important.

On the social welfare side, I welcome the increase in the income disregards for carer’s allowance. That increase is significant. As we know, the programme for Government clearly states that we will get to a point where the means test relating to the carer’s allowance will be removed, which is significant. I very much welcome the step taken in this regard by the Minister in Tuesday's budget. In the educational sphere the additional 1,700 SNAs as well as the additional staff in that sector is very important and something to be welcomed.

The one matter I am disappointed about is the fact that there is no measure in the budget to support workers on the personal taxation side. It is stated in the programme for Government that the Government will:

Implement progressive changes in taxation if the economy remains strong, including indexing credits and bands to prevent an increase in the real burden of income taxation.

It is fair to say the economy has remained strong and this budget did not provide some relief for workers in terms of their taxation or put some money back in their pockets. That is unfortunate and disappointing. The Minister indicated that this is something he will revisit at a future date. I would welcome that. Obviously, it is something we need to do as soon as possible because workers need a break. They are the backbone of our economy, and we need to support them. There is disappointment out there that there was not something for them in this budget. We know there has been a significant increase in the cost of living, so this is the one element of the budget that is disappointing for many people. Again, it is something we have to try to work on to ensure we can bring about improvements in this area as soon as possible.

All in all, this is a budget for securing our future and for investing in key infrastructure in a range of sectors, including the energy grid, water, wastewater, the transportation system and, of course, housing, which is our number one priority as a Government. The funding is being provided. We have to ensure that we get value for money and that we reform how we do our business in order that we can ensure large capital projects come in on time and on budget. It is critical that we get value for money and delivery. It is about delivery now. The Government is providing the funding, but we need to ensure that in the economy we have, which has high levels of activity and is performing strongly, inflation is beginning to creep up again. That is a concern. As well as providing funding, it is critically important to ensure that projects are managed properly, that delivery happens on time and that we get good value. All in all, this is a strong budget that will secure the future of our country.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the opportunity to make a contribution in respect of the budget. The people who were really celebrating on Tuesday when the announcements were made were the landlords, the developers and the vulture funds. This was a budget for them. The Government might as well have just handed the biro to them and let them write the budget. Not unlike the previous speaker, who is a Fianna Fáil Deputy, I was of course disappointed with the budget because the it favours those who are on high incomes, have big investments and multinational corporations over ordinary people.

On the social protection budget, while the Minister, Deputy Chambers, was on his feet announcing a €2 billion increase in measures for the social protection budget, his colleague in government, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Calleary, was issuing a press statement congratulating himself for achieving €1.15 billion in additional investment. You are all over the place. The people at the business end of this do not deal in billions and millions. Many do not even deal in fifties or twenties. There are very fine margins. Many people on a fixed income like pensioners are in the bracket of the 300,000 in electricity arrears. We know what older people are like. In the main, they want to pay their bills if they can. Sometimes, they need a bit of a hand. Some €10 is an absolute slap in the face. In the face of rising costs, in the same breath as you put up the cost to fill your car with diesel or petrol, you offer people €10. It will not keep pace with the rising grocery costs or the rising cost of living. The people who sit around the Cabinet table or near it think by saying the cost-of-living crisis over that it will magically be over for people; it is not. If you were listening to your own constituents, you would know there very much is a cost-of-living crisis. If you did not want to listen to your constituents, like the Government representative in my area, who has no office - no one knows where he is and no one can find him - bury your head in the sand, stick your fingers in your ears and not listen, the facts tell us the cost-of-living crisis is not over. There are 300,000 people going into the winter in arrears on their electricity bills. One in five children - over 225,000 - lives in families below the poverty line. Those facts tell us the cost-of-living crisis is not over. When people look to the Government, they look for a hand up. They are not looking for a handout. They want to be able to heat their homes and buy food for their families - basic stuff. They see the continuation of the red carpet for vulture funds and Ministers coming out with their hoovers to make sure the red carpet is nice and clean for all the lads coming to get all the benefits of this budget. There are no benefits for people living in poverty.

The Minister for Social Protection made an announcement last month that there will be a target set for the reduction of child poverty. That is possibly a good thing but when the mask slips it slips all the way down to your ankles because you will tell us your acceptable level of child poverty and moving towards an acceptable level of child poverty. You are quite prepared to live in a State where kids go to bed hungry and cold. That should not happen when we have surplus. There should not be a recession-style budget in a time of plenty. Now is the time people cannot heat their homes. As we saw in the Barnardos report, parents are having to reduce their portion sizes or skip meals. It is a damning indictment of the Government and its policy that in a time of plenty, children go to bed hungry. It tells you everything you need to know. That the Government is okay with this tells you everything you need to know. The Government is not coming to plead the poor mouth as it sometimes does. In fact, we had to sit and listen to Government speaker after speaker and Minister after Minister tell us we have never had it so good, clapping themselves on the back for all for the good work they are apparently doing. That does not manifest itself in my constituency office. It is not what my constituents tell me. When they come to me, they speak about needing a small amount of help. They ask me fairly simply questions such as does the Government listen? Does it know? Does it care? Unfortunately, we see every year in the budget exactly how much it listens and how much it cares. There is €10 a week for people who are dependent on the State, pensioners, people on a fixed income who worked their whole lives.

The Minister said he would introduce a measure for lone parents and it would benefit all lone parents. Of course, it will not. As I said, when the mask slips, it slips all the way down to your ankles. Not all lone parents are solely dependent on social welfare but they are over-represented in the group most at risk of not just poverty but consistent poverty. The Minister was very loose in his language. We have seen no costings from the Department of Social Protection. Before the election, you told us you wanted to abolish the means test for carers. Now that the election is over, that has slipped down the priority list. It remains to be seen how much has been put against that budget. By my reckoning, at the current pace of delivery by the Government, it is about 30 years. That is not the lifetime of a government but six governments.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Is é "lá na n-úitseach" an Ghaeilge i gcomhair Groundhog Day nó d'fhéadfaí an nath Fraincise déjà vu a úsáid maidir leis an méid atá foghlamtha againn ó thaobh an teanga sa bhuiséad seo. In ainneoin gur fógraíodh ardú i mbuiséad na Gaeilge, is léir go bhfuil roinnt cur i gcéill ar siúl ag Airí Fhianna Fáil agus Fhine Gael. Arís i mbliana, níl an t-airgead atá de dhíth á chur ar fáil do leithéidí Údarás na Gaeltachta, agus gan ach €2.5 milliún dó agus €2 milliún d'Fhoras na Gaeilge á chur ar fáil - sop in áit na scuaibe tar éis na mblianta d'easpa maoinithe agus géarchéim tithíochta agus theanga sa Ghaeltacht. In ainneoin go bhfuil an Rialtas ag rá gur chuala sé an teachtaireacht ón 25,000 duine a ghlac páirt san agóid CEARTA ar shráideanna na cathrach seo le déanaí, is léir nár chuala mar níl an maoiniú cuí á chur ar fáil chun cosaint cheart a dhéanamh ar mhuintir na Gaeltachta agus ar ár dteanga náisiúnta. Ní raibh tagairt ar bith do ghéarchéim tithíochta na Gaeilge sa bhuiséad seo in ainneoin agóidí BÁNÚ. Ní raibh tagairt ar bith don Ghaeilge sa chóras oideachais, don ghanntanas mór spáis, don ghanntanas múinteoirí ná don easpa Gaelscoileanna agus Gaelcholáistí timpeall na tíre. Ní raibh tagairt ar bith do scéim labhairt na Gaeilge a thabhairt ar ais ná do phacáistí tarrthála do choláistí samhraidh atá i mbaol agus do na mná tí atá ar an ngannchuid ina lán ceantar anois, rudaí a chuir muid béim orthu i mbuiséad malartach Shinn Féin.

Ar an iomlán, ní raibh ach beartas nua de luach €11 milliún luaite don Ghaeilge agus don Ghaeltacht sa bhuiséad sin. Is ionann sin agus an méid airgid a bhí le caitheamh ar phone pouches anuraidh. Cén fáth go bhfuil an Rialtas ag maíomh go bhfuil sé ag caitheamh €30 milliún nua ar an teanga i mbliana? Déjà vu atá ann toisc go bhfuil an Rialtas ag déanamh athfhógartha ar mhaoiniú a bhí geallta aige cheana féin. Is in 2021 a fógraíodh an t-airgead chun lárionad Gaeilge a athchóiriú ar Shráid Fhearchair sa phlean forbartha náisiúnta, plean atá fógartha arís i mbliana. Fógraíodh €10 milliún chun Coláiste Lurgan i gConamara a athfhorbairt in 2023, plean eile atá fógartha an athuair i mbliana. Fógraíodh athfhorbairt ar Ché Inis Oírr i mí Lúnasa na bliana seo tar éis na mblianta agóide ag muintir na hoileáin agus ag an Teachta Dála áitiúil, Mairéad Farrell. Athfhógraíodh an togra sin agus an t-airgead a ghabhann leis arís sa bhuiséad seo. Dar ndóigh, fáiltímid roimh na gealltanais seo an athuair agus go mbeidh na tograí seo maoinithe i gceart cé gur fháiltíomar rompu roimhe seo, ach tá sé in am don Rialtas gníomhú dá réir agus iad sin a thógáil gan tuilleadh moille.

Fáiltímid roimh an ardú de €5 milliún do TG4 ach ba chóir go mbeadh i bhfad Éireann níos mó ná sin curtha ina threo mar tá muidne agus é féin tar éis a léiriú go bhfuil gá le i bhfad Éireann níos mó chun gur féidir le TG4 cur leis an méid atá ann cheana féin agus seirbhís nuachta neamhspleách ó RTÉ a chur ar fáil. Dar ndóigh, ní luaitear sa bhuiséad seo aon rud maidir le stáisiún raidió Gaeilge don óige. Cúig oiread níos mó i mbeartais bhreise ná mar atá fógartha ag an Rialtas, €74 milliún, a bheadh á fhógairt ag muidne i Sinn Féin dá mbeadh muidne sa rialtas. Leag muid amach conas é sin a dhéanamh. Is anuas ar na gealltanais a bhí sa phlean forbartha náisiúnta é sin. Bheadh i bhfad Éireann níos mó fógartha againn maidir leis na healaíona agus cultúr na hÉireann chomh maith.

At at time when artists are struggling with the cost of living, the Arts Council cannot meet the demand for schemes and most artists do not yet benefit from the basic income for artists scheme, it is incredibly disappointing to the see the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, in his first budget as culture Minister, cut the budget for the arts by €2 million. By contrast, Sinn Féin would have provided an additional €21 million to ensure that the arts thrive into the future, including almost €7 million to reach out to artists the Arts Council has not succeeded in getting to and €7 million additional funding for Screen Ireland in order that we might continue to build on the success of our film industry.

All the artists have been given is a promise by the Minister the basic income will continue in some form or other at some stage in the future. No clarity has been forthcoming on what form that basic income will take. Will it continue to be a random lottery or will it be based on merit or financial need? Will pilot scheme participants be able to reapply or will it be open to new applicants? Will there be an extension of the scheme or an expansion of the numbers taking part, or will it be another 2,000 different artists? Crucially, we need to know if disabled artists will once again be discouraged from participating by a Sophie’s choice between getting the basic income or keeping the disability allowance and medical card, particularly as, despite pleas from the Opposition and disability campaigners, the then Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, refused to allow disabled artists to take part without it being counted against them in the means test. This put them at an immediate disadvantage compared with their peers who do not have disabilities and who faced no such punishment. We cannot allow the ableism and injustice Heather Humphreys perpetrated as Minister to continue in any new long-term scheme.

We should also seek to undo the threat the former Minister unleashed on our historical heritage to allow the demolition of the 1916 battlefield at Moore Street, which Sinn Féin is still trying to save from the wrecking ball. The relatives of the leaders of 1916, whose last stand was fought on that hallowed ground, are also trying to save it. We would have put an initial €10 million into saving those buildings, with a view to developing a cultural quarter there, and a further €3 million investment in the Heritage Council and the employment of county and city archaeologists. Unfortunately, this Government is hell-bent on shrinking the overall heritage budget by 6%, thereby continuing the austerity approach championed by the former Minister, Heather Humphreys, who it now wants to ensconce in the Áras.

Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I am going to focus on the climate and energy aspects of the budget. I will start by giving some credit to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. There have been some positive steps from a long-term emissions reduction perspective. For starters, I am glad he has convinced the Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, of the need for carbon taxes.

The funding given to EirGrid and the ESB for grid investment is very much welcome and will help unlock our renewable wind energy capacity. I was happy to see some, though not enough, additional funds being provided for retrofitting. In this budget, the Government has allocated an additional €50 million for local authority home retrofits, though we in Labour provided for double that in our costed alternative budget.

The same goes for the better energy warmer homes scheme. Increased funding is great, but there are huge delays for people trying to avail of the scheme. We need to see a plan from Government to reduce the wait times and address the affordability gap for home retrofits more generally.

The increased investment in our energy network is very welcome, but there is data-centre-sized elephant in the room with regard to this budget. Making our grid more resilient is vital, but are we doing it to enable more renewable energy generation to decarbonise homes or is all this new renewable energy just going to go towards the additional energy needs of new large energy users like data centres? This budget fails to make large energy users pay their fair share and the CRU’s draft price review 6 is proposing we give them a discount on their energy bills. There was an opportunity to tax data centres in this budget so they actually contribute to our efforts in strengthening our grid, but that was missed.

We cannot just have business as usual if we are to meet our emissions targets. The Labour Party has proposed an SUV tax. There is no sign of that in the budget, despite a very obvious and concerning trend towards bigger, higher emitting and more dangerous vehicles entering the market over the past decade. It is deeply unfortunate that the positive steps taken with regard to investment in our energy and water networks and in things like home retrofits have been undone by the overall theme of the budget being a budget for big polluters and big business. Nowhere is that more obvious than in the decision to give a massive tax break to the likes of McDonald’s, while pulling the rug from under the hundreds of thousands of households across the country that are struggling with their energy bills.

There should have been targeted energy credits in this budget to help those most in need. This Government has chosen corporate welfare over social welfare. It has made it clear whose side it is on, which is not the side of those who are stuck in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s perpetual cost-of-living crisis and who worry about how they will keep their homes warm this winter. As usual, this Government has put the interests of big business, big developers and big polluters first. People deserve an explanation as to why the profits of drive-throughs and developers matter more to it than households that will be forced to choose between heating and eating this winter.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy. Deputy O'Donoghue is next.

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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A Cheann Comhairle, twice I have been in the Chamber now when the Opposition has used the Áras as a platform to attack one candidate.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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There was no mention of the Áras-----

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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I am an Independent.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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-----but I appreciate that.

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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I have not said a word about it.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you.

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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It is very unfair that it is allowed continue. I am sorry for taking up the time.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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There was no mention of the Áras.

Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I did not mention anyone.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Not you.

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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I did not mean Deputy Ahern.

Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
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No problem.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Go ahead, Deputy O'Donoghue.

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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I just think it is unfair.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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Up Catherine.

Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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What the Government showed on Tuesday is just how completely out of touch it is with some of the struggles of normal people. It announced the 9% VAT rate for the hospitality sector and handed out rewards to developers, fast food chains and lobbyists - the well-connected who do not need a cent of the money involved. Meanwhile, the people who keep this country running by going to work and paying their taxes did not get anything. The budget does not tackle the cost-of-living crisis. Food, energy, petrol and rent are all up. Wages and social welfare payments are not keeping pace. The only thing that is going down is people’s sense of belief that the Government is actually going to do something to help them. Families are cutting corners on basics, yet they still cannot get through the month. The Government needed to step in and give them some breathing space, but this did not happen. My constituency of Dublin Fingal West is bursting at the seams. Every day I deal with issues to do with housing, transport and a lack of public infrastructure. The same issues are being ignored again and again.

Let us start with early education, which was the big election promise. We all remember the Tánaiste doing his best Ryanair impression by promising cheaper childcare for all. The Government announced a budget of €1.47 billion, and that sounds impressive until you read the small print. The money will be spread so thin that it is hardly going to make a dent. If the Government wants to know what it could have done better in that regard, it could have started the transition to the public early education system. It could also have taken responsibility for the wages, which are 70% of providers’ costs. If it did that, it could start to bring childcare costs down to €200 per month for parents.

On disability services, the Government has added more funding there too, apparently. It looks good on paper, but it is pouring money into a black hole that has no targeted supports. In my constituency, a child called Willow who is turning nine this month has been waiting two years for speech and language therapy. She finally had her assessment last month. Her parents were told she needs therapy, but the problem is she has to wait another two years to get it. Imagine that. She will be 11 years of age before she accesses any form of therapy. I have reached out to the Ministers for Health and children to ask them to intervene. What is happening is not good enough. The families of Dublin Fingal West deserve better than that.

What my constituency needed more than anything was funding for transport in order that people who are being stranded due to overcrowded buses and trains could get to work in the morning. It also needed funding for Garda stations like those in Rush and Lusk, which open two hours a week.

In budget 2026, the Government announced nothing new. It put funding that was already there into a tumbler, added some glitter and loose change and called it new funding. The people the Government is supposed to service deserve better.

George Lawlor (Wexford, Labour)
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This was a budget where workers were left behind. We had no personal income tax relief for workers. Hard-working families - the backbone of our economy and the people who keep our economy going, ticking over and working - were left with their hands hanging. We saw a reduction in the VAT rate. Many millions of that will go to multinational chains. I have heard descriptions of franchises run by families but the bottom line is the likes of McDonald's, no matter where they are, are among the most successful and profitable businesses in this country. It was trumpeted that small operators in the hospitality sector will benefit but if the customers who enter those premises cannot afford to go out and spend on meals or entertainment because they are put to the pin of their collar week in, week out they will not be in a position to spend to assist the hospitality sector. They will not have the money because of the rising costs across the board, yet they were left with their hands hanging after this budget.

We have heard much fanfare of various housing schemes being introduced. In reality, hard-working families on low pay, hard-working individuals trying their best and hard-working people on minimum wage have no hope of ever owning their own home; neither do they have any hope of getting any assistance from the State in the form of the housing assistance payment or being allowed to go on housing lists. In Wexford, for instance, two people earning the minimum wage are about €4,000 over the threshold for the housing list.

I have raised this issue before. There is a ludicrous situation involving people in receipt of working family payment. That payment is added to their household income when assessment is being made of that income for the housing list. I have seen numerous times where people in receipt of that payment, which is supposed to take them out of poverty, have it added to their income to put them above the threshold and immediately put them back into poverty because they are thrown to the wolves of the private rental market. Out of an annual household income of about €40,000 or €41,000 for two people on minimum wage, they are expected to pay maybe €1,500 of that into the private rental sector. Those are Wexford figures; it is worse in other areas. The notion the budget was good for the tens of thousands of people who go out to work day in, day out, who pay tax and who contribute to the economy, is nonsensical.

We saw a rise in the minimum wage and the Government trumpeted that increase. It is great to see it but it is not the Government paying the minimum wage; it is the small businesses it purports to support. It is wonderful to see increases and we want to head towards the living wage but do not trumpet an increase in the minimum wage when it is businesses that will pay it. People, in some instances, will suffer as a result of earning the minimum wage and not qualifying for any assistance, particularly when it comes to housing. We have to do an awful lot better if we are to support those who support us, that is, the workers of this country. Go raibh maith agaibh.

Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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Tapaím an deis seo labhairt ar son na cáinaisnéise agus na sonraí atá leagtha síos mar chuid di. Ar an mórchuid, ceann de na teachtaireachtaí is mó a thugann an cháinaisnéis seo ná go bhfuil infheistíocht láidir á déanamh againn inár seirbhísí poiblí, ag cur le daonra atá ag fás ach ag déileáil le go leor de na gnéithe agus na fadhbanna sóisialta atá le feiceáil i sochaí an lae inniu.

I thank the House for the opportunity to speak on this week's budget announced by the Ministers, Deputies Donohoe and Chambers. I want to speak first about allocations to the transport sector, given my role as Fianna Fáil spokesperson on transport. Almost €5 billion has been allocated to the sector in its entirety. Some things that stand out to me for their importance to the broader economy are the roll-out of DART+ West and DART+ South West, and the BusConnects programme in Dublin and across the country. One important thing which has not had attention drawn to it this week is the increase in the public service obligation, PSO, funding to almost €1 billion. That 35% increase will ensure increased connectivity for towns and cities up and down the country, not just in Dublin. It is important to call that out, as well as the significant once-in-a-generation investment in the MetroLink project.

With regard to the tax changes announced, it is important to highlight and support those regarding dereliction. The role of the Revenue Commissioners will be pivotal to ensuring that is effective in dealing with dereliction in our towns and cities and bringing properties back into use, as well as the extension of the living city initiative.

I also welcome the increase in the research and development tax credit. It is an important signal to send to the global community and entrepreneurial community that Ireland is open for business, welcomes research, celebrates innovation and positions itself centrally as a knowledge-based economy that wants to be at the forefront of knowledge and innovation revolutions.

Turning to cúrsaí oideachais, one of the things I most welcome is the increase of €50 in capitation for primary students. We have been made aware in the House of a number of challenges facing primary schools with regard to funding and this capitation increase is a huge step forward in addressing those funding challenges. I look forward to further progress on reducing class sizes, as promised in the programme for Government. I welcome the similar increase in capitation for post-primary schools, the announcement of over 1,700 SNAs to support students in schools across the education system and 1,000 additional teachers, 800 of whom will be specifically focused on special educational needs.

An initiative I was pleased to see announced, and funding provided for, was DEIS Plus. I and colleagues in the House advocated before the general election and since then for a focus on areas of very difficult disadvantage and to ensure schools, often centrepieces of communities in areas like that, are supported and focused on.

With regard to mental health, I welcome the work of the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, in bringing forward the talking therapies fund, which will streamline the provision of community therapy services across the country. I recently joined the board of Beacon of Light Counselling Centre in Clondalkin, which provides this exact community therapy service. It is a world-class example and is a vital service in the community. The fund will be pivotal to ensuring those services continue.

I dtaobh chúrsaí Gaeilge, cuirim an-fháilte roimh an €5 milliún atá á thabhairt do TG4, ag tabhairt aitheantais don chraoltóireacht ardchaighdeáin atá á cur ar fáil ag TG4 agus é sin aitheanta ag an Rialtas leis an dáileadh breise sin. In éineacht leis sin, tá maoiniú breise á chur ar fáil do scéimeanna agus do thograí i leith na Gaeltachta, ar nós pleanáil teanga, tacaíocht don teanga agus tacaíocht don Ghaeltacht.

I look forward to the opening of the community sports facilities scheme next year. It provides crucial capital funding for sports facilities up and down the country.

On the movement being made on childcare, it is important to note that 35,000 additional places will be funded and the extension of the building blocks grant scheme will put provide 2,300 physical places in buildings across the country.

I welcome the targeted social protection measures, particularly the focus on child poverty, which goes far beyond any measures introduced in recent years. There is an opportunity to look in the coming three to four years at how we encourage and incentivise houses without earners, through provision of childcare, training and support, to go into work.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the opportunity to examine measures taken in budget 2026 on Tuesday, the first of five budgets expected in this new Dáil term. It aims to steady the economy in challenging times, invest for the future and improve services that families rely on.

It attempts to balance day-to-day pressures with long-term capital investment in housing, hospitals, schools and safer streets. Housing funding will reach over €11.2 billion in 2026, up a massive 20% with €5.19 billion allocated for capital investment and €2.02 billion for current spending. Within that is €2.9 billion to deliver 10,200 new-build social homes and continue the acquisitions programme. Homelessness services rise to €563.5 million, up sharply from last year. Water infrastructure, essential to new housing, gets a 29% increase for Uisce Éireann to €2.2 billion, with overall water services at about €2.5 billion. These are the building blocks for supply.

Compared with 2025, there is €1.5 billion extra in current health funding. This will allow the recruitment of 3,300 additional staff, between 220 to 265 extra acute beds, more than 1.7 million home-support hours, and capital of €1.56 billion to progress projects such as the National Maternity Hospital, ambulance bases and the digitisation of health records.

Education and youth funding totals €13.1 billion which is 7% up on last year, with 1,717 additional special needs assistants, SNAs, 860 extra special education teachers and higher school capitation of €50 per primary pupil and €20 per post-primary pupil. Some €69 million has been allocated to strengthen school transport while €1.6 billion in capital will move over 300 school projects through construction.

There is €5.78 billion current and €390 million capital for the justice sector. The Garda budget funds up to 1,000 new gardaí, 200 extra staff, a doubling of the Garda Reserve to 600, and 392,000 extra overtime hours for visibility purposes. There is €160 million for technology, including national rollout of body-worn cameras. The capital allocation for new stations is €174 million, alongside investment in prisons, probation and court services. It is appropriate that the Minister is here. I welcome the Garda capital programme. I again press for a new Garda station at Cherrywood and the refurbishment and expansion of the Dún Laoghaire and Shankill stations to match the growth and commuter patterns. Those projects should be prioritised within the capital envelope now provided.

The total Social Protection spend is €28.9 billion, which is the largest single component of the budget representing almost 25% of State spending next year. Core weekly rates rise by €10; carer’s allowance income disregards increase to €1,000 for a single person and €2,000 for a couple; fuel allowance rises by €5 to €38 and opens to working family payment households; domiciliary care allowance is up by €20 a month. These are modest but meaningful steps and crucially must continue across the next four budgets. Work always pays and families are supported.

I welcome the reduction in VAT for labour-intensive sectors like hairdressing and hospitality, supporting jobs in every town and village across Ireland. It was interesting to see some of the Opposition, including Sinn Féin members, voting against the VAT cut here then hailing it outside the Chamber in the media.

The increase in the national minimum wage from €12.70 to €13.80 on 1 January 2026, worth almost €2,230 a year for a full-time worker, is a step in the right direction. Again, this was largely ignored by Opposition speakers.

The USC 2% band moves up to €28,700 in line with the increase in the minimum wage and the 9% VAT on household energy is extended to the end of 2030.

Many positive steps have been taken in budget 2026. We are not hearing a lot of that in this Chamber from certain quarters but ultimately it is there to support hard-pressed families at a very difficult time and also to support enterprise so that it can continue employing people and continue the growth in the economy.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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There has been a lot of talk from the Government benches this week about economic stability and about protecting our competitiveness. The previous speaker just verified that. That is absolutely fair enough. However, I believe that this year the Government has chosen big corporations over people who need protection the most. If one wants to make an argument that multinationals are vital to the economy, which clearly they are, let us be consistent. Investing in people is every bit as economically transformative as investing in profits. A report a couple of years ago by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul calculated the cost of poverty to this State to be about €4 billion a year. If we really believe that strong companies make a strong country, surely a second tier of child benefit targeted at families living in poverty would deliver an economic and social return that far outweighs the tax breaks we have seen from the Government. The difference is that those dividends would not show up in the balance sheets of Burger King or McDonald's, they would show up in a vulnerable child finally getting support from a proper State safety net or in carers being valued for the essential work they do every single day.

I agree having some positivity is important. We have seen some proper investment, for example in the League of Ireland academy system. That is good. The expansion of the basic income for the arts actually provides a net of security for a cohort of people who put a lot into the economy. I give credit where it is due. When a State actually sees something that can be transformative there are times when we can do that. For me however, it is about how do we not see the whole picture, because right now Ireland, in all our constituencies, is at a crisis point. You can feel it when walking down the streets of this city. We heard it today during the Oireachtas committee on drug use when we had groups in from Epic, Empowering People in Care. Social workers attended who work in special care units and are being left to manage children detoxing off drugs because the addiction and mental health infrastructure simply is not there. I recognise the fact we are also celebrating World Mental health Day today. That is not what the service was designed for, and it is certainly not what those young people deserve.

Yet, when you open budget 2026 you see the same failed logic being baked into a system again. The prison service allocation for the next year is €579 million. The Government is literally building its way deeper into imprisonment in a country where seven out of ten people who go to prison will reoffend within three years. Meanwhile, the probation service, one of the few services that actually helps people to get out of prison, gets an increase of just €6.7 million. Youth justice gets €7.3 million. That is less than 3% of what is being spent on expanding cells. At the Dóchas Centre last night, 27 women slept on mattresses on the floor. Government Ministers are talking about the expansion of prison services when women were sleeping on the floor just last night. That prison is running at 140% capacity. What does this budget do? It funds 26 extra beds. Expanding cell spaces does not solve overcrowding. It just gives us more space to repeat the same failures. Even with the spaces, we are being told our prison population is currently operating at about 118% over capacity. Even with the type of investment in this budget and what the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, aims to reach, that actually only brings it down to 104% overcapacity. That is mental as logic. If we invested even half of that money into prevention, housing and rehabilitation we would not need more cells at all. One would think that the Minister for justice, of all people, a man who spent a lifetime listening to and presenting evidence, would know better than to ignore it when applying it to his legislation. This is not just about justice spending. It is about the choices that reveal a Government's values: a Government that can fund hundreds of million for new prison spaces but cannot find the courage to fund early intervention programmes for young people at risk; a Government that celebrates corporate windfalls but ignores the social collapse happening in plain sight in our capital city. There is almost nothing in this budget that deals with early intervention, nothing that breaks the cycle of poverty, trauma and addiction that keeps communities trapped. Instead, we keep chasing the symptoms and not the causes. If that continues, I am absolutely certain we will be back here next year debating the same problems, and the year after that and the one after that. We will see more young people criminalised effectively for being poor, more families without homes, more women sleeping on prison floors and more Ministers congratulating themselves on a responsible budget. It makes no sense, it is not responsible and it is not inevitable. These are political choices. The evidence is there. Experts have consistently told us what will work but year after year the Government ignores it because the real investment, the kind that changes lives rather than headlines, cannot be measured in quarterly returns. We cannot keep doing this. We cannot keep repeating the same cycles of neglect and then acting surprised when they lead to the same forms of social breakdown that are often lamented from the centre-right quarters of this Chamber.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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It is a week today since Manchán Magan passed from this world. I take this opportunity to remember him and reflect on a truly incredible person. In the past week, we have heard people who knew him well tell stories about him and talk about their respect for him and gratitude for the work he did and how he touched their lives. I did not know him. I only met him once at a talk he gave at the Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray. The talk lasted an hour and a half and was about rewilding your mind. He spoke as Gaeilge and as Béarla, and he had the audience completely transfixed. In science, we talk about how when we learn, our brains create synapses and connections. That is how our brains work. Manchán could achieve the same thing with his words. When he spoke, he created connections from the present day to our ancestors, our past, our landscapes, our nature and our culture and, indeed, other cultures. At a time when people across the world are increasingly divided, he showed how ancient cultures were connected and how they were all the richer for that. Particularly important for me was that - and I was appreciative of it - he completely understood nature and where we stand in relation to it. We are part of nature. We do not stand above it. That is how many indigenous cultures think about nature, and we have forgotten that. Therefore, I wanted to remember Manchán today. He was a gift to our nation. There is a responsibility on us to take the work he did and move forward with it strongly. Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann.

On that note, the Government has closed its eyes to nature and the environment. Instead of seeing us as part of nature, it sees us as something above it. It sees nature as something to win over, fight, control and make profits from and the budget was a perfect example of that. Let us look at the €85 million allocated in respect of the bovine TB eradication programme. A large proportion of that will be for badger culling, when all the evidence from the UK and Scotland shows that it does not make a difference in the eradication of bovine TB. The document refers to rivers as channels, something the OPW is given money for. They are invested in to try to engineer our way out of climate change, climate impacts and flood risk, rather than looking at nature as part of the solution.

The Minister for agriculture spoke about how retaining the nitrates directive is his number one priority, despite the fact that it has had a huge impact on our landscape and our rivers. A mere 20 rivers are in pristine condition, versus 500 rivers in the 1980s. We have seen a 90% drop in our salmon populations since the 1970s. One third of our wild species are threatened with extinction and 63% of our birds are in decline.

I take this opportunity to say, in memory of Manchán Magan, because I think it is something he would have appreciated and felt strongly about, that it is foolhardy to think we can continue to live the way we do. The Government cannot continue to govern the way it does. We need to respect nature. Nature is not something to be exploited It is to be lived with in a sustainable manner. We have not done that for many decades. What we are seeing is a continual degradation of nature in this country. At what stage will we say that enough is enough and that we need now to protect and restore nature? There is a different way. We do not have to destroy nature as we grow. There is a way to grow sustainably with it, but it is important that the Government take the lead in this regard. I hope the Government will take those lessons, and those from Manchán Magan, forward.

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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This year's budget is about targeted investment to support those who need it most, while also ensuring that we plan wisely for the future. It is about looking after people today while securing the economic foundation for the generations ahead.

I welcome the strong focus on social protection, particularly the increase in weekly core welfare rates, which will benefit 1.5 million people. The expansion of the child support payment and changes to the working family payment threshold are targeted and sensible. These measures will support low- and middle-income families who are feeling the pinch more than ever. The increase in the fuel allowance will also bring real relief to many households.

Education has rightly received a major allocation, with increased funding for special education, new SNAs and additional special education teachers. Continued investment in the school transport scheme and DEIS supports shows a clear recognition of the need to back young people and their futures. Childcare and disability services have been prioritised too. Expanded access to childcare places, improved funding for Tusla and investment in disability supports will make a real difference to families on the ground. In disability services, the focus on additional residential care places, home support hours and respite services is welcome. These are practical and necessary measures that can transform people's daily lives.

Housing remains one of the biggest challenges facing the country. The investment by means of current and capital expenditure is essential. The delivery of more than 10,000 new social homes and funding for enabling infrastructure are steps in the right direction. The national development plan must continue to guide these investments, making sure what we build today will stand the test of time, not just for housing, but also for energy and water infrastructure.

Cuirim fáilte chomh maith roimh an infheistíocht sa Ghaeilge agus sa Ghaeltacht. Tá mé fíorbhuíoch go bhfuil maoiniú breise de €41.4 milliún curtha ar fáil don Ghaeilge agus do phobal na Gaeltachta sa bhuiséad seo. Tá sé seo riachtanach chun ár dteanga dhúchais a chaomhnú agus a threisiú. Cuirim fáilte roimh an maoiniú sa bhreis do Roinn na Gaeltachta agus do TG4. Is céim mhaith í seo chun níos mó infheistíocht a fheiscint i leith na Gaeilge.

This budget is also about preparing for the future. I strongly welcome the funding allocation for the national AI office. This is something I have been pushing over the past six months. I was about to introduce a Bill but, thankfully, the Minister for enterprise has moved ahead with establishing such an office. This office has the potential to ensure that Ireland becomes a leader in responsible and innovative use of artificial intelligence, supporting enterprise, jobs and competitiveness. However, if it is to truly succeed, further investment will be needed in the years ahead to match our ambitions. I would love to see a commissioner appointed to the office and for the office to be independent of the Department in order that it might work with all aspects of Government and society.

If we are serious about creating a resilient and dynamic economy, strategic investment must go hand in hand with targeted supports, as we saw this week. That is what the Government is attempting to do with this budget. The budget will protect the most vulnerable, support working families and build the foundations of long-term economic strength through infrastructure, skills and innovation.

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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It is said that these things should always be done like sandwiches, so I have both criticism to make and praise to give. First, I acknowledge what Deputy Jim O'Callaghan has done as Minister for justice. I have long campaigned for the restoration of criminal legal aid rates. It has been a myopic approach by the Department and my Government not to restore them. Criminal barristers and solicitors appear to have been the last sector not to have rates restored after the FEMPI cuts that reduced payment for providing criminal legal aid to a very small amount, which has meant that people are not going into that area of law. Some will say they do not care about that, because the only people who care about criminal legal aid are criminals and lawyers. Not everyone makes a distinction between the two categories, but it is an important distinction. This is an area that allows criminal justice to function, so I welcome that there will be full restoration during the year. That is a positive step.

The next bit of the sandwich is inheritance tax. I am really disappointed that nothing has been done about that. I have raise this issue previously, particularly in relation to my constituency. In Dún Laoghaire and much of Dublin, because of the cost of houses, families are massively disadvantaged relative to their cousins in areas outside Dublin, where property prices are lower.

It is a very significant discrepancy between the two and I felt it was time to bring us back to where we had been pre-crash, at the €0.5 million threshold for inheritance directly by families because at the moment there is a situation in areas like Dún Laoghaire where families have to sell the family home because they cannot afford to pay that inheritance tax. I would have liked to have seen something done in that area. I also want to acknowledge the campaign to support people who do not have children. I note that nothing has been done in that area either. This is a double-decker sandwich.

The next thing I want to come to relates to the rainy day funds. One of the things we overlook very often in this polity is praise for future planning. It is one of the things this Government has been really good about. I want to particularly want to mention the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, who has consistently ensured that we are putting together a fund which will look after us in the future not just for economic shocks that are unforeseen but which we know are coming all the same, but specifically for the pension cliff that is coming. We know we are moving towards a situation with an ageing population where more people are going to be pensioners and fewer people will be working, drawing a wage and funding the expense that is the pension scheme. We need to make sure we are in a position to look after people who have retired and are just as entitled to have a good quality of living as the rest of us. Therefore I welcome the fact that more money has been put aside for those.

The next part of the sandwich is about the 9% VAT rate. I support the 9% rate. It is really important to support small indigenous industries that occupy space in every town, village and corner of this country. There are over 20,000 restaurants, hotels and pubs in this country which need the support of the reduction in the VAT rate. I support it but I do not support it for large companies or companies that do not need it. I know there have been a lot of great soundbites from the Opposition as to where that lies. That is good politics but it is not necessarily good budgeting. I have argued for a long time that we need a scheme that is actually targeted at those who need it. There is no point in giving a reduction to a 9% VAT rate to McDonald's, Burger King, Costa, Starbucks and the big coffee chains. They do not need it. I am not saying they should close down. What I am saying is we should be targeting it at those businesses which do need it. Every one of us in this room has small cafés, small restaurants and pubs in our constituencies which desperately need this support, and that is why I welcome the move, but I would much rather it to have been targeted at those businesses. I acknowledge that there cannot be differentiated tax rates for different businesses within the sector and there is no legitimate basis for doing that, but we could have put in place through this budget a scheme that would give a VAT rebate to companies or entities that exist in a particular space in the economy. One could pick a metric - I think turnover is probably the most reasonable - and decide that if a company's turnover is higher than a certain level, it will not get a rebate, but a rebate scheme would be put in place to give back to small businesses with turnover below that rate the VAT the company would have saved had the rate been reduced to 9%. In that way, we would keep the VAT rate at 13.5% but there would a rebate scheme for those businesses which need it. I am not saying the larger businesses should close down or that the large hotel groups which fund our tourism industry and support people coming to every corner of this country should be closed; I am just saying they do not need the 9% VAT rate to survive and we should have been targeting the 9% VAT campaign towards those businesses which genuinely do need it. I think of two restaurants in my own area in Blackrock. The first is Big Mike’s, which was a well-known restaurant in Blackrock shopping centre but closed its doors last month. It was very successful on the face of it but just could not survive in the economic climate. The second was a much smaller but really high-quality Italian restaurant in Deansgrange called Fellini’s. Emila and Paolo, who ran that family restaurant, employing local people and providing a fabulous service, have also closed their doors and that is regrettable. They would have benefited from the 9% VAT rate. It is exactly those types of businesses that we are trying to safeguard.

Going back to the rest of the sandwich, gabhaim buíochas leis an Rialtas as ucht an mhéid airgid atá curtha isteach aige sa Ghaeilge. Is fada an t-am atáimid ag labhairt le heagraíochtaí cosúil le Conradh na Gaeilge agus na daoine atá i bhfabhar na Gaeilge inár gceantair ar fud na tíre. Tá níos mó ná €41 milliún ar fáil acu anois agus tá sé sin thar a bheith tábhachtach. Caithfimid níos mó airgid a chur ar fáil don Ghaeloideachas. Tá díomá orm a rá nach bhfuil ach dhá Ghaelscoil i mo Dháilcheantar féin i nDún Laoghaire, cé go bhfuil a lán daoine a labhraíonn Gaeilge sa bhaile agus gach lá. Caithfimid níos mó roghanna a chur ar fáil do dhaoine gur mhaith leo a bpáistí a chur i nGaeloideachas, bíodh sin i nGaelscoileanna nó Gaelcholáistí. Tá súil agam go bhfuilimid chun roinnt oibre a dhéanamh ar an ábhar sin.

Catherine Callaghan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Budget 2026 is about protecting and supporting jobs in the face of turbulent economic headwinds. As the first of five budgets that will be delivered over the lifetime of this Government, of course we cannot achieve everything we wish to at once and there will always be more that we can do. However, the permanent incremental measures that are outlined in this budget will go a long way towards providing the structural supports that our economy needs to weather any potential storms. This is a budget designed to keep us economically safe, to provide real supports to ensure more homes are built and to put greater protections in place for the most vulnerable to ensure those who have the least benefit the most.

As a former SNA, I am heartened to see provision for an additional 1,717 new SNAs and more than 1,000 new teaching posts, with the majority of those, at 860, being in the area of special education. The further roll-out of OTs and therapists in special schools will take significant worry and stress from parents, as well as ensuring our children in special schools receive the regular therapies they require without missing excessive amounts of school time. The €16.5 million DEIS plus plan will make education more accessible to many children in disadvantaged areas and circumstances. The increase in student capitation fee, which I called for in the Chamber, is most welcome. I recognise it is a little shy of the €75 per child in primary schools that was asked for but, as I say, this is year one of a five-year plan. The pupil-teacher ratio is also in need of attention, but it is year one of five.

Carlow-Kilkenny is a great farming constituency with a strong tradition of tillage farming, and the budget of €50 million is desperately needed. Of course, we would have liked more. I look forward to seeing the outcome of the Minister, Deputy Heydon’s consultation with farm organisations to see how it is invested most efficiently and effectively for the sector. I thank the Minister for his work in preparing the TB eradication plans which enabled him to secure the €85 million for TB measures. The rollover of the various tax reliefs for farmers for four years is also very welcome and positive.

The budget has provided for the largest defence budget spending in the history of the State, at €1.49 billion. That is an extra €60 million, which is welcome and means we are on track to meet the level of ambition 2 by 2028, as recommended by the Commission on Defence Forces. The major challenge, however, will be the additional 4,000 personnel who are required to reach the 11,500 for level of ambition 2. I look forward to working with an Tánaiste and this Government to ensure we continue to invest in recruitment and retention initiatives in terms of specialist pay and a better arrangement for post-2013 personnel, and I will continue to push for addressing the gap in cadets' pay to ensure Óglaigh na hÉireann is supported to fill out right to the edges of its potential and get the full opportunity to do what it does best – protect and defend our State.

One cannot speak about defence without speaking also about national security. I am hopeful that part of the biggest-ever defence budget will go towards resourcing the JCDC to ensure our Defence Forces possess operational cyber capabilities in our modern world, a world where cyberattacks are increasing in frequency, complexity and destructiveness and can compromise critical infrastructure without any hindrance across geographical borders. That is the threat we face as a nation and that is the reason we need robust cybersecurity and resilience. Therefore the increase in budget of over 50%, to €12 million, for the National Cyber Security Centre is definitely welcome and needed and the further investment of €3 million to establish a new statutory national security authority to ensure the State has a comprehensive security clearance regime in line with EU and international obligations is reassuring to see.

As we all know, housing is the number one challenge facing people in Ireland today and a central means of addressing that challenge is through tackling vacancy and dereliction. Therefore I was delighted to see that the living city initiative will provide supports for the enhancement of older housing and commercial properties in Kilkenny, with the increased scope of the initiative to include residential properties built before 1975. With these measures, the Government has shown that it is serious about ending dereliction in our cities.

I also welcome the largest ever increase in the carer’s allowance income disregard from July 2026 and the Government taking another stride towards the removal of the means test in the lifetime of this Government, as was a commitment in the programme for Government, as well as the €20 increase in domiciliary care allowance per week.

In relation to the future, I welcome the introduction of My Future Fund, which will help almost 750,000 people save for their retirement. I also look forward to working with my fellow Oireachtas colleagues towards achieving all of the commitments made in the programme for Government over the lifetime of this Government.

Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I had just been elected and I had national school principals from Coolock on to me straight away about DEIS Plus, and fair play to them. They were determined to make sure DEIS Plus got off the ground and got funding and support. I was more than happy to raise it in the parliamentary party and directly with the Minister, to work with like-minded colleagues to make sure those working-class areas, with great communities but deprivation, would get a shot at DEIS Plus. I am delighted to see €48 million allocated to the programme.

Our Lady Immaculate Senior National School, in Darndale, St. Francis Senior National School in Priorswood and St. Joseph's National School in Coolock are three schools that would really benefit from being in the DEIS Plus pilot. Their principals and staff stand ready to get involved, so I just wanted to call them out.

The increase in education capitation is a huge plus for schools and for primary schools in particular. The more primary schools I visit as a TD, the more they raise the issue of energy bills and other bills and having to rely on parents and fundraising activities to close the gap. The capitation changes are very welcome and I look forward to future increases as well.

Housing supply has got a lot of attention in the Chamber in the last few days. The measures introduced by the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, are a clear signal of intent to start working on supply-side measures for housing. I welcome that. I recently read an academic piece by a learned housing academic and of the five measures advocated, none were supply-side measures.

There are 98,000 apartments with planning permission but no start date yet, with 42,000 of those in Dublin. The VAT change should help increase the viability of those apartments. To be fair to the Minister, he made very clear that he cannot prove that will be the case but the Government is trying to do everything it can to close the viability gap to make sure those apartments can be built.

In relation to VAT, we should look at construction materials and other inputs in future budgets. If we can have a zero or reduced VAT rate on construction materials, that would feed into trying to close the viability gap. I take issue with my colleague, Deputy Ward, on the 9% VAT rate. Trying to target VAT is very hard to do. You may be able to target across sectors but it is very hard to take a sector and try to find ways to target VAT changes, for example, at small, medium or large restaurants and cafés. It is really hard to do and I do not think it is workable.

Cuirim fáilte, ar deireadh, roimh an infheistíocht agus an maoiniú breise do TG4. Chas muid le hionadaithe ó TG4. Déanann TG4 an-chuid oibre ó thaobh an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn agus caighdeán na gcláracha a chuireann sé ar fáil. Tá seans ag TG4 anois seirbhís nuachta neamhspleách, láidir, mhaith a chur ar fáil don tír, don dream ar fad a bhéas sásta éisteacht agus breathnú ar an tseirbhís sin trí Ghaeilge. Fáiltím roimh an infheistíocht seo. Fáiltím freisin roimh an maoiniú breise don earnáil oideachais agus don Ghaeltacht go ginearálta, ach tá níos mó oibre le déanamh againn ansin.

Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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This budget represents the first of five budgets and is step one in the implementation of the programme for Government. It is not possible to deliver everything in year one. Financial changes, as anyone with a grasp the finance knows, happen over a period of time. This is something the public understand, but it is not recognised at all by much of the Opposition. This budget is possible because of the massive taxes we earn due to full employment and because we support multinational industries by above all being pro-business and giving corporations certainty. These multinationals are crucial to all the spending we have discussed over the past two days.

Our Government promotes wealth creation. It is something that much of the Opposition does not recognise or understand. Sinn Féin never once mentioned job creation in its budget day contributions. Without this, there would be no money for our health service, education, pensions or social welfare. We would become a basket case without wealth creation. I understand this, but I feel the need to state it explicitly so that those who do not understand it start to think about it. Many on the Opposition benches think this money will always be there, but it may not be. That is why we must protect jobs and industry. That gives us the wherewithal to fund our services. The reason we have this budget is that it recognises these realities.

Sinn Féin says that we are not spending and taxing enough. The Labour Party says we are spending too much. It is clear we have got the balance just right. The Opposition is fond of selecting one item and saying that our costs are the highest compared to other countries, but by so many measures, we are at the top or close to the top in class. Other countries look on and wish they had our public finances. Our nearest neighbour, the UK, is in danger of going bust while in France they cannot even agree on a budget. We are a beacon of stability and we display a sensible middle ground. Long may this continue.

Many Opposition TDs speak on different issues and take very extreme and radical positions. These comments represent a threat to our successful country. Their aim is to make people feel miserable. That is their policy. Of course we have challenges, but there will always be challenges. In the past, it was employment and the public finances, and we solved these. When it comes to the finances of running a country, in an ideal world, one runs a surplus, reduces national debt, puts money aside each year - €6 billion this year - invests in infrastructure, education and health, and supports the most vulnerable. That is exactly what this budget does.

If I was asked what struck me most forcefully on my first budget day, I would say it was the exaggeration of some of the Opposition spokespersons. It was reported that at People Before Profit's alternative budget launch, the party said it would introduce a €9 billion wealth tax on multinationals. This must be called out for the reckless policy it is.

I referred earlier to the issue of jobs. This is the biggest contribution to taking people out of poverty. This country has been transformed for the better by huge job creation. That huge success has led to the challenge of housing. There is no simple fix to the housing shortage. There are a hundred or more things that can help deliver enough houses. This budget proposes another part of solving this challenge. It is right to use targeted tax measures to help deliver housing. The Government will do everything it can and make all necessary changes to deliver housing. It will be done in a pragmatic way, not in any ideological way.

I will finish by repeating what I said at the beginning. This budget represents the first of five budgets and is step one in the implementation of the programme for Government. It is not possible to deliver everything in year one.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I agree with what Deputy Timmins has said. I will fire a shot across the bows of the Opposition because no one has bothered to turn up tonight. When people are watching this on TV at home Opposition Deputies are the first people to point the finger when the benches are a bit light on this side of the House. Their absence is either an endorsement of the budget or they could not be bothered to turn up

I welcome the increase in the capitation grant. This will see an additional €50 per pupil allocated to primary and special schools and an extra €20 per pupil for post-primary schools. Many of my colleagues will have received numerous emails from constituents in recent weeks on this issue. As a former teacher, like Deputy John Connolly beside me, and having spent 15 years in the classroom, I understand the immense pressure on parents and schools. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, is committed to improving the support for our special education services and that commitment is evident through the increase of 1,717 in the number of SNAs and the 860 additional SEN teachers in special education settings. It is vital that we continue to have the staff and resources necessary to expand special education provision.

Housing received a major uplift in the budget. The expansion of the living city initiative will help to address vacancy and dereliction and hopefully bring more houses into the market. The scheme is being extended and expanded, increasing its scope for residential properties from those built before 1915 to those built before 1975. Amending this scheme to support the use of over-the-shop premises for residential purposes is also a good idea.

Far too many people are homeless, living in emergency accommodation or in precarious and uncertain living conditions. We all know this is not good enough. We must continue to accelerate the delivery of homes through key initiatives such as the first home scheme, vacancy grants, affordable purchase options, cost rental housing and the help to buy scheme.

Turning to infrastructure, I want to address the ongoing issues with water quality in Cork city, which have been well documented, particularly the problems with discoloured water and excess manganese. While the additional funding is welcome, we must acknowledge that the full replacement of ageing cast-iron pipes is going to take time. Long-term planning and delivery must remain a priority. Nevertheless, an additional €1.4 billion for Uisce Éireann is extremely welcome and needs to be directed at areas servicing new housing developments in particular.

In his speech yesterday, the Minister referenced several road projects. I want to ensure the northern distributor road, the Mallow relief road and the Cork to Limerick motorway are included in the projects that receive funding and make tangible progress. We need more definitive timelines for their delivery and I will continue to press for clarity and action on them. It is crucial to restate that the funding to deliver these projects is in place under the national development plan, despite what Members of the Opposition say.

Last year, I spoke in the Chamber about the importance of making our communities safe and my disappointment at the allocation of new Garda recruits. Of the 1,000 recruited, only four were assigned to Cork and only one to my constituency. This year's budget includes a commitment of €110 million to recruit 1,000 trainee gardaí in 2026. I sincerely hope that Cork receives its fair share this time. Our communities deserve adequate policing resources. I also want to highlight the ongoing issue of prison capacity. I was pleased to welcome the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, on a recent visit to Cork. I appreciate his commitment to expanding prison capacity there.

Moving on to health, last week I vocalised my frustration at the lack of progress on the Cork elective hospital. As I have said, I raised the issue last week and I will continue to do so. The facility is critical to reduce overcrowding and to address long waiting times. We need urgent movement on it. There are a number of primary care centres in the NDP in the pipeline for Cork North Central, including, as examples, Glanmire, Mayfield and Blarney.

I have long advocated for increased funding and approved access to medicines for persons living with rare diseases. Ireland has allocated €8 million for rare disease funding in 2026, increasing from €6.5 million in 2025 and €1.5 million in 2024. There is incremental progress, which I welcome. This funding will help facilitate the implementation of the national rare disease strategy, which makes 11 key recommendations designed to enhance diagnosis, treatment and support for people living with rare diseases.

I have very little speaking time remaining so I will mention several other issues that involve small amounts of funding but which I welcome nonetheless. I am a spokesperson on sport and while in recent months I have had my issues, which have been well documented, with the FAI as an organisation, I welcome the €3 million for sporting academies to be administered by Sport Ireland. It is fundamental to recognise the grassroots of Irish football and the good work they do, whatever difficulties I might have with the parent body.

I also welcome the €1.6 million allocated to the GAA. I acknowledge the incremental increase to sporting organisations in the budget, and the further enhancement of the large scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF. I am already looking forward to seeing a more enhanced LSSIF in next year's budget. As I have said in the past, some of the best things I have been involved in as a public representative in recent years have been in the area of sports capital funding. It is probably the most important and best delivered funding we give directly to communities. It is great to see this further enhancement.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the emphasis in the budget on capital investment in infrastructure and housing. There is a full allocation of €19.1 billion for infrastructure in budget 2026, which is an increase of more than €2 billion on the 2025 figure. I very much welcome this. When we have such quantities of money to spend, it is important that we do not allow it to become bogged down in red tape and bureaucracy, which slows down the development of infrastructure. I know that next month the Minister, Deputy Chambers, is to publish an action plan on infrastructural development. I very much look forward to this simplifying regulation and reducing the administrative burden and red tape involved in progressing crucial infrastructure projects in all of our constituencies throughout the country.

I will mention a few projects in Galway in particular that I hope will benefit from it. We are advised that funding is there for them but I want to see them move through the infrastructure guidelines quickly. The development of two additional bed blocks at University Hospital Galway will be the first phase of the redevelopment plan for the hospital. I understand from the HSE that a design team is to be appointed before the end of the year. I hope that in 2026 we see this progressed through the accelerating infrastructure task force and planning system. As I have said, it is a first phase, following which will be development of the new emergency department, the maternity section, the paediatric section and cancer services. I hope we will see the quick development of these using the new infrastructure guidelines.

The Galway city ring road is long spoken about and I am very hopeful of a planning decision on it by the end of the year, and if not by the end of the year then early next year. I hope the new infrastructure task force and accelerating infrastructure guidelines to be published by the Minister, Deputy Chambers, will make sure the ring road is developed in a quickly. The Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, will be interested in the development of the pier at Rossaveel and, perhaps, the Galway Harbour Company. A planning decision is awaited and I hope it will receive planning permission and move through the infrastructure task force quickly. There is also the cross-city link, which will be a substantial public transport development in Galway city.

I welcome the record funding of €7.2 billion for housing next year. I hope it can bear fruit quickly. We need these houses urgently. We should alert the local authorities again that the Government has announced efforts to reduce the bureaucracy around gaining approval for public housing projects. We are advised the Government has reduced the approval process for social and affordable housing projects from a four-stage process to a single-stage process. I hope this will see quicker development of housing. I hope it will not be a case that it will still take the same length of time but with the process condensed into one stage. I hope we will see quicker decisions.

Allow local authorities to build. I do not see why we do not advise local authorities of their budgets at the start of the year and state that by the end of the year we will expect them to have built or developed a certain number of social and affordable houses. Local authorities are the bodies responsible for this. We have the budget now to allow this. Give them the money and let them do it, rather than having a process of the local authority seeking approval from the Department of housing. It seems to duplicate work. We should streamline it by giving the local authorities the money. I look forward to the publication of the new housing strategy during this Dáil term. I hope it will accelerate residential developments.

Other measures are included in the budget, which we hope will trigger investment in the private sector and the development of apartments. I certainly hope these measures have the intended impact. There is figure of close to €1 billion, I think it is €700 million, and it would be fantastic to think we might tackle the housing crisis through a combination of public and private investment.

One of the most noteworthy features of the budget is the effort to which it goes it goes to protect and further develop our public services. All of our citizens benefit from good quality public services. It is one of the great levellers in society. The Taoiseach said after the election last year that the development of better public services was one of the main focuses of the Government. It is mentioned throughout the programme for Government. I hope we see the measures in the budget having impact and being continued over the life cycle of the Government in each budget.

According to the budget, we will see an additional 12,500 staff in the public service. It is difficult to think this will not result in significant improvement for citizens accessing and benefiting from public services. This is the aim of it. The public should be reassured by this. We should have measures to make sure the public get the benefit of this expenditure and we should not see this money going into further bureaucracy and red tape. We should see bodies employed quickly to provide services. Some of the measures that stick out are the additional 3,370 staff in the health services and the €3.8 billion increase for disability services. The Taoiseach has spoken about the Government wanting to provide a step change in how we deliver disability services. This €3.8 billion is an indication of this intent. I hope that in all children's disability network teams, we will see enhanced therapeutic services and reduced waiting times for the children and support for families.

We can talk about these figures, and it is fantastic that we have the capacity in the economy and the Exchequer to provide them, but we need them to deliver for the public, particularly in this area. It is a commitment of this Government and we want to see it having an impact that benefits the end users. Also included in that €3.8 billion increase for disability services are further resources for respite care. We all know families who need respite care in support of the well-being of all of the family members. We all see it being a struggle for certain families to access respite care. Again, we need to make sure the moneys we are providing have that impact and that they provide the buildings for respite care and the staff to provide the service.

Another welcome initiative in terms of the public service for next year, which Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan has mentioned, is the 1,000 additional gardaí. Already in the lifetime of this Government, two classes have entered Templemore, resulting in 500 additional gardaí in the past year. The Minister may have said it was even more than that. The Minister of State would know himself. There is funding for 1,000 next year. The commitment to community policing is very welcome. Citizens throughout the country will welcome that.

I also concur with my colleague Deputy O'Sullivan in welcoming the additional capitation moneys for schools. I have been on career break from my school for just over a year. In the past number of years, especially since the Covid cleaning supplement was taken away from schools, they have been struggling. The increases in the cost of energy and the cost-of-living increases that has affected households has also had an impact on schools. This additional €50 in primary and special schools is badly needed. I hope it will provide some relief to schools and ensure they can provide adequate educational infrastructure while covering the day-to-day running costs of the school, that is, heating, lighting and so on. It is very welcome.

To add to my earlier comment about the development of our public services, the additional teachers - more than 1,000 - and over 1,700 SNAs to be provided next year again highlights the commitment of the Government, and I compliment the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, in particular, to the provision of classes for children with additional needs. This is most welcome. We all know parents and have heard about the stress they face coming into September not knowing whether there will be a class in their community for children with additional needs that their child can attend. I hope this additional 1,000 teachers and 1,700 SNAs will ensure more communities have the classes needed to ensure all children can attend their local mainstream school.

I also echo the sentiments of my colleague regarding the additional €3 million for the FAI. I encourage local authorities in those places where the FAI intends to develop academies to work with local soccer clubs to develop the types of facilities needed to progress the game locally. The additional money for the GPA and the large-scale sporting infrastructure fund is also very welcome. The Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, has advised us that the sports capital programme will be open for clubs to apply to for funding in the new year. That is a much sought after programme. These resources develop facilities that every community needs. I look forward to that expenditure and to helping clubs try to avail of that funding.