Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time.

The Minister is most welcome to the Chamber. This is my first opportunity to congratulate him publicly on attaining high office and I wish him well. He has certainly started in the manner in which he means to go on. I have always considered him very positive, pragmatic and practical, and that is stamped throughout the budget. It is the first time in a decade that Fianna Fáil has had an opportunity to put its stamp on a budget and that is very important. I very much welcome the historic investment in our society, and in the infrastructures that constitute it, that has been provided for in the budget. These are measures for our time that, as was described in The Irish Times, are an emergency response in an unprecedented package. With this budget, the coalition Government is doing its utmost to protect lives and livelihoods at a time of extraordinary uncertainty.Covid and Brexit are the two giant unknowns facing our economy and this budget is probably the most important in the history of the State. The key social housing, health, green and education agendas all have much to be pleased about in this budget. Moreover, supporting our business community and keeping and creating jobs where possible is of key importance. We certainly hope the spending people make because of this budget will help to limit the damage caused to the economy by business closures, unfortunately, and the numbers of people slipping into long-term unemployment. We have to protect the most vulnerable in our society with concrete measures and this budget goes a long way. To have over €1 billion invested in mental health supports is unprecedented and the significant increase in funding for the disability sector is to be recommended. The extra funding, which amounts to more than doubling the funding for direct provision, to help support the end of direct provision is very important.

I am a believer in local democracy and empowering our local authorities and councils is hugely important. In terms of the extra money available for infrastructure, I hope to see some of that in south Kildare in the form of a new bridge in Newbridge and the completion of the relief road in Athy. I am glad the Minister recognises the childcare sector is in need of significant reform and three reviews on funding, operating and workforce development are ongoing, which will provide the basis for a new vision for childcare next year. I have always been to the forefront of defence issues and I welcome the extra €32 million investment, of which €10.5 million will go towards paying allowances, while the rest is for infrastructure.

The reduction in class size ratios to 25:1 is significant and positive and will lead to extra teaching jobs, as well as reducing the ratio in the classes. I welcome the €120 million package for reskilling and retraining and the extra money in special education. The significant increase in funding of €13 million for dementia services is a breakthrough in that area. I thank the Minister for his support and his consultation with the full parliamentary party on the issues we felt needed investment.