Seanad debates
Tuesday, 7 October 2025
Budget 2026 (Finance): Statements
2:00 am
Laura Harmon (Labour)
Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. It is safe to say this budget is giving "friends in high places" vibes. What I mean by that is that it is a budget for developers and in many ways for big businesses, for the likes of Starbucks and McDonald's. Instead of asking, "Do you want fries with that?", this budget in many ways asks, "Do you want elitism with that?" This budget represents a reward for many of the Government's supporters or friends in high places, just as last year's budget represented the buying of votes and many once-off measures.
The €500 increase in student fees is an increase. You cannot dress it up any other way. To say it is a decrease is effectively to gaslight students and their families. Does the Government think people are fools in saying it is a decrease? It is €500 extra coming out of people's pockets this year that was not there last year. In this Chamber, before the summer recess, I counted seven Fine Gael Senators in a row who said they were against any increase in the student contribution fee, so to hear Senators from Fine Gael today say they welcome this is questionable. It is really important that the Government stick to its own programme for Government and the promises that were made to the electorate when it said it would decrease the student contribution fee over the lifetime of this Government. We need to see further decreases to that fee. It is important to say we have among the highest third level fees in Europe. Students already pay significantly for their education in this country.
It was a missed opportunity not to completely abolish apprenticeship fees in terms of access to apprenticeships. It is welcome that there are more apprenticeship places as part of the budget. That is a welcome measure.
It is disappointing to see there is not more emphasis put on childcare. We know that this was a huge issue during the election campaign in terms of the promises that were made. We absolutely need to move towards a public model of childcare. The 2,300 places that were announced today will be merely a drop in the ocean for families and children waiting for places. We are a long way away from free GP care for all children as well. Again, that needs more emphasis.
In terms of dereliction, it is extremely worrying to see that the legislation for the introduction of the derelict property levy is not expected until 2027. It is welcome that it will be collected by Revenue, and that is something the Labour Party has called for, but the fact that we might not see any of this even collected until 2028 is appalling. We have to get serious about clamping down on derelict properties. Where is the sense of urgency?
It is welcome that the renter's relief tax credit is being continued to 2028. We in the Labour Party, however, would have liked to see a significant increase in that to reflect the cost of living. It is absolutely shameful that there was no mention in today's budget of homeless people living in this country and that the word "homeless" was not uttered by any Government Minister in the Dáil today when we were watching the debate. We have over 15,000 people who are homeless, of whom over 5,000 are children. Are they invisible to this Government? Is that what it is? Can it not see them? Can it not see what is happening in this country, how this will affect these children throughout their lives and how that poverty will follow them around? One in five children is living in poverty in this country. Where is the budget for them?
In terms of disability, disability organisations have come out being critical of the budget, saying it is a missed opportunity and will deepen poverty for these people. The Irish Wheelchair Association has said many are choosing whether they can eat or whether they can turn the heating on. This is completely unacceptable. The Labour Party would have emphasised a cost-of-disability payment. It is disappointing that that has not been prioritised in the budget.
Finally, if this is the kind of budget being delivered when ours is one of the wealthiest countries in the world and at a time when there is money in this country, I worry what the budget would be like if that were not the case.
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