Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am not, no. When and if I am in the Chair, I will give everyone an opportunity. The Order of Business is the Order of Business, so eight minutes is eight minutes.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the budget. This is not like any normal budget because even though Fianna Fáil as a party is in opposition, we entered a confidence and supply agreement, a unique arrangement that had never been done before in this country, in May 2016 after the last general election. This agreement requires us to abstain from the vote on the budget provided our core priorities, which are published and are available and about which there is nothing secret, are implemented.

As a result of our party's influence, last year's budget was the first progressive one in six years, a point that Deputy Michael McGrath acknowledged, as did the Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar, when he was a Minister. Fianna Fáil has again used its influence to leave its print on this budget, and it is a better budget for Fianna Fáil being involved in its production.

We have worked to emphasise investment in services in housing, health, mental health particularly, education at all levels, child care and in improving the social and capital condition of communities, while all the time focusing tax reductions on low and middle-income earners in particular.

The minimum two to one split of services to tax cuts has been the hallmark of our policy and has fundamentally set the parameters of this budget. The more right wing, US-style approach that Fine Gael had used in the past was rejected by the electorate in 2016, and Fianna Fáil, through our confidence and supply agreement, has ensured that in its place an emphasis on fairness and building of our public services and communities has taken priority.

Our party welcomes the fact that in overall terms the economy is doing well. GDP growth was 5.2% in 2016. It will ease to approximately 4.3% this year, and the forecast is that it will be approximately 3.5% next year, which is still healthy. Growth of 3% to 4% per annum is where we need to keep it. I remember being told in school that if we grew by 0.5%, we would be doing well. It is a very healthy position to be in, but it needs to be at a sustainable level and we must avoid a situation where huge pressures build up in the economy, particularly approaching full employment, which puts other pressures on us in that it is difficult to find the number of employees needed, particularly for areas like construction in terms of housing and so on.

For those reasons, even though Ireland is not obliged to reach its medium term fiscal objective in 2018, we believe the Government is right to seek to do so. Beyond 2018, we believe that establishing a rainy day fund is the right thing to do. It is a fund we can draw on when our economic conditions are less favourable. Such a fund is a sensible part of budgetary policy and would be a sure sign that we have matured and learned lessons from the past.

In the last election, Fianna Fáil was the only party that campaigned to retain mortgage interest relief to 2020. Both Fine Gael and Sinn Féin said it should be abolished in one go. Fianna Fáil fought for the extension because of what it would mean to nearly 430,000 people. These people and families bought houses when property prices were at a peak. They have suffered worst from negative equity whereby the mortgage exceeds the value of the house. Last year we secured agreement that mortgage interest relief would be retained until 2020 and phased out over the next three years as opposed to ending it overnight, and the details have been confirmed in the budget. In simple terms, in 2018, mortgage holders who benefit from the tax relief at source will keep 75% of the benefit they had in 2017, 50% in 2019 and 25% in 2020. Again, that is one of the many Fianna Fáil stamps on this overall budget. At a time when more than 50,000 families are in serious mortgage arrears of over 90 days, it was essential that we would keep this relief going for the next three years. That would not have been possible without us fighting for it in the confidence and supply agreement.

As the Minister outlined, however, we need to aggressively tackle the high cost that individuals and families in our society face, whether it be high mortgage rates in terms of interest rates, motor insurance premiums, which the Minister discussed, the cost of energy, waste collection, rent or health insurance. The Minister is now involved with the working group on motor insurance but as he is aware, the joint committee produced a very good, thorough report with many recommendations, which are also being implemented. I commend all the members, including the Minister when he attended the committee, on the production of that report. It is welcome that motor insurance costs appear to be stabilising, but they are still very high and it is hoped they will reduce to a sustainable level into the future.

As a party, we have placed a major emphasis on the cost of mortgages and the cost of insurance. Motor insurance continues to be a major issue and while the figures have stabilised, individual motorists are still seeing very significant increases. We will continue to hold the Government to account on the implementation of the recommendations of both the Cost of Insurance Working Group and those in the joint committee's report.

Not only is today budget day; it is also World Homeless Day. That should serve as a stark reminder that the housing crisis is the most serious issue facing this country. There are over 130,000 households on the social housing waiting list. Many have been on the list for many years. The country is experiencing the highest rent costs on record. They are higher than at any previous point in time, including the boom, while house prices are rapidly growing beyond the reach of many ordinary working people.

The homelessness scandal is a scar on our cities and towns, with some 8,000 people in emergency accommodation and over 3,000 of those being children. The dream of owning a home is fast becoming more and more distant to more and more people, including many of those with good jobs. In spite of growing employment figures, young workers believe they are further away than ever from owning their own home.

It is time to get local authorities building again. Success will not be counted purely in numbers. It will be counted in terms of the bricks and mortar, the estates that are built, the developments, apartment blocks and so on across the country but, as we would all acknowledge, particularly in the major urban centres.

Currently, we have 680,000 people on hospital waiting lists. We need both extra resources and managerial and human resources policy changes to bring our health services up to scratch for 21st century Ireland. It is acknowledged that we are spending a lot of money, but we are not seeing as much of a return as I would like to see for that money.

For working families and those with long-term and chronic conditions, the reduction in the drugs payment scheme threshold is welcome. The reduction in prescription charges is also welcome in terms of alleviating daily and weekly health costs. Boosting personal assistance and disability services is crucial to giving people with a disability a genuine pathway to inclusion. That will be the subject of post-budget engagement on our part and we will aim to ensure that this year's Health Service Executive, HSE, service plan will reflect our priorities in that area. We are also putting the HSE on notice of our intention to see substantial improvements in home help hours and home care packages in its 2018 service plan.

This is the second budget produced under the confidence and supply arrangement. I am sure many people thought we would not get this far but, as a party, we are determined that we will fulfil our part of the bargain in terms of three guaranteed budgets with a review at that point, subject to our priorities being included. It is by no means perfect, but it is stronger, fairer and more ambitious for Ireland than it would have been without Fianna Fáil's input. Our sole focus at all times has been to secure progress on measures contained in the confidence and supply agreement, not for our own benefit or for the sake of it, but in the interests of the people we represent.

In terms of social welfare, child care, education, the pupil-teacher ratio, guidance counsellors, investment in infrastructure, the new technology based firms, NTBFs, coming back last year and a further investment this year, motor insurance and housing, they are all very important. However, as the Minister pointed out and as the former Minister, Deputy Michael Noonan, stated in his last contribution in our former Chamber, as a country we are the second most indebted in the world per head of population after Japan. In that context, and in the context of Brexit, we need to be aware of the challenges we face but it is a better budget as a result of our party's involvement. I thank the Minister of State for being here and listening to us.