Róisín Garvey (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am the Green Party spokesperson on enterprise, trade and employment. We did much work on submissions around helping the SME sector go green because that is the way we must now move forward. There will be €10 million in the climate transition fund to help businesses to decarbonise. I made a submission to the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on this. It was good to see we can work together in coalition.

There was also €5 million for regional enterprise development fund to help encourage small businesses. They are the backbone of the economy where I live as we do not have any big businesses in north County Clare. We have a few in Shannon but most of the jobs in Ireland are in small businesses. It is good, therefore, to see that sector getting serious funding in the budget.

As the mother of a 22-year-old who got into college through the Access programme, it is good to see the Access programme getting more support and the SUSI grant being increased. The number of students who will now be eligible has also been increased. These measures make third level education more accessible to all.The significant supports for apprenticeships is extremely important. Apprenticeships are rated up there in importance with the achievement of six A1s and qualifying for medicine because we need those who complete apprenticeships to retrofit this country. It is great to see them validated.

On rural transport, there are wins in the budget for LocalLink and safer routes to school. Even in the case of rural schools children deserve to be able to walk or cycle to school safely or at least cross the road safely. There are also wins for greenways, which are not only good tourist attractions but they link people and communities who, otherwise, might not meet each other. I have seen that in Mayo and Waterford. You meet old people on them and they get to meet their neighbours and friends again and people from all over the world. It is good that the development of greenways is not only considered a Green Party policy but they provides social and mental health benefits which are empowering.

It is important to recognise the great supports the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman, secured for childcare provision, for young people and for those supporting young families. Childcare provision has long been an issue for this State. Finally, there will be serious investment in this sector, which recognises the importance of investing in our youngest in society - not only those at third level - and the people who give of their time to care for them.

The budget provides for a €90 million innovation equity fund, which will invest in early stage companies for potential growth to scale. That is also welcome.

The provision of free contraception for girls aged 17 to 24 is welcome. I would like that provision to be followed up with free contraception for boys, so they can share the responsibility for contraception.

The provision of 60 new posts for community workers under the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, is extremely welcome. Community development workers operating through local development companies do amazing work all over Ireland. It is great to see that improvement coming through the offices of the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Brien.

The allocation of €60 for a low cost retrofit loan scheme is vital. The carbon tax yield has been ring-fenced to retrofit the social housing stock, which is great for the people who are in social housing. We also have the squeezed middle, for want of a better term. They will be able to get low cost loans to retrofit their homes.

This budget is helping us all move towards the future we want to see for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. It is important we bring a message of hope to people today. We cannot get everything right in one budget. It is easy to throw mud at it from across the room. A great deal of work has gone into this budget. There are many positive wins in it for people in every sector of society. We are trying to do our best here. They must be acknowledged today by everybody. You will never get it all right and no one is perfect, but this is a good budget and something we should celebrate.