Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. It is incredible that, in budget 2022, we are discussing the spending of such large amounts of money across so many sectors when we are still coming out of the pandemic and recovering from what has been an extraordinarily difficult time for Ireland. Given that there are other jurisdictions very close to ours that are looking at their budgets and proposing cuts to spending rather than additional spending, we can be proud of our country and Government for delivering a budget that provides for every citizen and will ease the burden in many ways, particularly the cost of living.

I am pleased to see a budget that, for the first time ever, really seeks to tackle women's health. For the first time, I saw a Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform get to his feet and discuss all of the spending that the health sector will provide for women's health initiatives across many areas. I commend the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, on securing the necessary funding for the free contraception scheme. It was no easy task, but that scheme will be transformative for the country and assist many young girls and women in having full control and access to reproductive healthcare. Providing free access to contraception was one of the key ancillary recommendations of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. Those in the 17 to 25 age cohort have been identified as the most vulnerable to not being able to afford the contraceptives that are most appropriate for them. As such, this is a welcome initiative.

In the women's health package, we will see the following: more obstetric consultants and funding for our national maternity strategy; additional funding supports for specialist menopause clinics in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway; measures to tackle period poverty; the opening of six additional see and treat gynaecology clinics; the expansion of our endometriosis specialist service in Tallaght; and additional funding for our sexual health units across the country. It is a remarkable budget in terms of what it will deliver, and is already delivering, for women's health and I am proud to be in a Government party that is doing that. This is the first time in the State we have seen this level of investment - in excess of €30 million - for women's health initiatives.

I welcome the childcare package. Many colleagues have mentioned it today and many more will do so over the coming days. The more than €700 million for the childcare sector is a substantial investment that will have a significant impact. It is right and proper that these supports be targeted in the first instance towards childcare workers, who are considerably underpaid. This will help to stabilise the sector so that we can, piece by piece, build the type of community childcare sector that we need and reduce the cost burden on families.

The funding that is being allocated for young people is welcome. Many times over the past year, we have spoken in the Chamber about the impact that the pandemic has had on young people and how they have suffered the most, and given up the most, in the past year and a half, which they did primarily to protect the most vulnerable and older people in society. We have commended them for that, but it was important to reward them in this budget for their hard work. It is commendable and significant to see half-price public transport for our young people aged 19 to 23 years. I am sure that young people across the country are saying that they can for the first time see a budget that caters for them and not just older people, which is something that we have not seen for many years. This is tangible and will make an impact in the daily lives of those travelling to socialise, to college, to work or to school. There is also a €200 increase in the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grant. More importantly, accessing that grant will be made easier. The threshold will be increased and many more families and students will be able to access it, thereby ensuring that every young person in this country can have access to third level if he or she so wishes.

It is important to acknowledge the increase in the minimum wage, which predominantly affects younger people in lower paid jobs. Following the past year and a half, we now more than ever realise the importance of those jobs in the service industry, retail and hospitality, where many young people start their working lives and many continue to make their careers. It is important that the minimum wage was increased.

While there are many aspects of the budget that I welcome and it has been a fair budget for everyone, the support for carers is particularly fantastic and welcome. The carer's allowance will increase by €5, the weekly earnings disregard will increase as well, and the capital disregard has gone from €20,000 to €50,000 in acknowledgement of the considerable work, sacrifice and service that carers across the country make in caring for their loved ones. It is only right and proper that they be front and centre in budget 2022 and will be rewarded financially for the work they do on behalf of the State and for their loved ones. There is no greater gift than to care for someone in his or her own home and to keep that person at home in the community, but carers need to be helped in doing that.

I have touched on the few key aspects that I believe are ambitious and visionary and have shown the resilience necessary to deliver for many people as we come out of the pandemic.