Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach and I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. I commend the Government on its work on budget 2023. As I said earlier on the finance part of it, everything that was done in the budget was done because it was necessary but also because we were able to do it. The resources were there because of a strong economy and because the supports were put in place last year and the year before to protect jobs and provide the linkage between employers and employees with the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, and with everything that was done to keep people in work. The economy and the rate of employment have been maintained and enhanced over the past number of years.

There is a significant windfall in corporation tax, which is welcome. On the other hand, it is somewhat worrying that there is a reliance on it but Ministers are aware of that. That said, they have put some of the resources that accrued this year into a reserve fund, with €2 billion put into this fund this year and €4 billion to be put in next year. That is the prudent thing to do because there is that question mark over the medium- to long-term reliance on corporation tax.

Is buiséad costais mhaireachtála í buiséad 2023 atá dírithe chun cabhrú le daoine agus lena dteaghlaigh, le bearta do na daoine is leochailí agus do na daoine ar an meán atá faoi bhrú. Sa bhuiséad seo tá an Rialtas ag cur níos mó airgid ar ais i bpócaí trí cháin ioncaim a ghearradh agus le híocaíochtaí pinsin agus leasa shóisialaigh a mhéadú do theaghlaigh, do dhaoine faoi mhíchumas agus do chúramóirí. Tá an Rialtas ag cabhrú le daoine agus lena dteaghlaigh leis na costais mhaireachtála sna réimsí mar chúram leanaí, iompar poiblí agus costais a bhaineann le leanbh a chur ar scoil, nó sábháil airgid dá dtithe féin, is é sin dá chéad teach.

Tá an Rialtas ag tacú le gnó trí chabhair le comhlachtaí a gcuid billí fuinnimh a íoc an geimhreadh seo.

Táimid ag cabhrú ó thaobh na gcostas a bhaineann le bheith ag dul ar choláiste trí tháillí a ghearradh agus le deontais na mac léinn a ardú.

Tá pobal níos sábháilte agus níos láidre a thógáil trí níos mó acmhainní a chur ar fáil don Gharda Síochána agus d'Óglaigh na hÉireann a thugann cosaint dúinn.

Is é an tús is fearr chun é sin a chinntiú do gach leanbh ná go mbeidh infheistíocht mhór i gcúram leanaí agus sa luathoideachas.

Lena chois sin, tá €2 billiún freisin á chur ar leataobh i mbliana agus €4 billiún an bhliain seo chugainn i gcúlchiste chun Éire a chosaint sa todhchaí.

Mar a dúirt mé, táimid in ann na rudaí seo a dhéanamh toisc go bhfuil sé d'acmhainn againn de bharr bainistithe cheart ar an ngeilleagar le roinnt blianta anuas. Toisc go bhfuil fás agus fostaíocht láidir againn, táimid in ann barrachas buiséid a chur ar fáil chun soláthar a dhéanamh le pacáiste mór an bhuiséid seo agus ciste fós á choinneáil againn i gcúlchiste. This is the managing of the resources that one has and the leaving of some aside in reserve for difficulties that may or may not arise. Who could have predicted Covid-19 in 2019 or, in 2021, that the following year would see an invasion of Ukraine and the impact that would have on the economy, on gas and oil, and on the rate of inflation? All of these are unknowns and we have to be prepared for the unknown, which is recognised.

I certainly very much welcome the increase in the numbers of teachers, special needs assistants, SNAs, and the number of gardaí in the package of supports that was announced, together with the increased supports in the spending on defence.

Electricity credits, with three payments of €200, or €600 over the period of the scheme, are important because we know that one of the major cost-of-living pressures at the moment is in electricity and we know why that is the case.

Other budget provisions include the €400 lump sum to be made available before Christmas to recipients of the fuel allowance; cost-of-living supports to all qualifying social protection recipients; an increase in pension payments of €12 per week; payment of the Christmas bonus; an additional lump sum payment of €500 to those in receipt of the working family payment; a double child benefit payment in November; a payment of €500 to those who qualify for the carer’s support also in November; and a once-off payment before Christmas to those in receipt of the living alone allowance. There is also a once-off reduction in the student contribution of €1,000 for eligible students in the 2022-23 academic year, a €1,000 increase in the postgraduate fee contribution, and the extension of the 20% public transport fare reduction and youth travel card discount of 50% on all operator services to the end of 2023. There is an increase in working family payment thresholds.The qualifying income threshold for fuel allowance will increase as will the rate of domiciliary care allowance. These measures are all very welcome and necessary. We are able to do it because we have the necessary resources. Childcare is a cost that many families have. The reduction of up to 25% in the weekly fee for those availing of the national childcare scheme is also to be welcomed.

On health, while I welcome the extension of GP care I am slightly concerned about the pressure this could put on general practitioners. There are communities where GPs are under pressure and certain communities where there are no GPs at the moment. We certainly have to be able to engage with the medical colleges to ensure we have that throughput of doctors and that they have the support to establish practices in areas as well. The removal of hospital in-patient charges for public patients is welcome also.

On education, buying school books can add pressure for families. From my own days in school, too often books were updated with minor changes and families had the cost of all that. It is probably more prevalent now. We need to look at that practice. The cost will now be absorbed by the State but is it the right thing that this is happening? Funding was announced for 4,800 additional apprenticeship places and 4,000 registrations under the Housing for All and climate action plans. That is welcome. There is great demand and opportunity in the whole retrofitting area. I know there is engagement and places are being provided in the technological universities, TUs.

I mentioned the energy credit for households and refer now to the supports for energy for businesses, which are most important as well. If the businesses are not able to survive, that would have a knock-on impact on job retention. Certainly the supports that have been announced for mid-size and larger companies are significant. The Tánaiste, Deputy Varadkar has done a lot of work on that. The temporary business support scheme acknowledges the impact of high energy costs on businesses. It is welcome. I acknowledge the work of all in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in the forming of the budget today.