Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on budget 2026, from the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, to be taken at 1 p.m. and to conclude at 3 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, those of group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, those of all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, time may be shared and the Minister to be given not less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 49(2), motion regarding supports and services for patients with head and neck cancers, to be taken at 5 p.m., with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.

Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy Leader for the opportunity to raise Portumna Forest Park, which has been raised previously in the Seanad. There are two elements. When Storm Éowyn landed some months back, it did untold destruction. I compliment the work Coillte did to ensure our paths and trails were open all summer. Although they were open, there is still an awful lot of debris from fallen trees. Those fallen trees need addressing. We need them to be properly taken away and harvested. I have no doubt a lot of other trees on the Coillte sites right across the country need addressing. I am asking that we bring in the Minister with responsibility for Coillte before us, so we could have a conversation or a debate to get an understanding of how prepared our semi-State agencies are for the next storm when it comes. These environments are very precious. We saw the value Coillte provided during the Covid-19 pandemic by providing access to such wonderful amenities. We need to ensure those amenities are protected and safe in the event of storms.

Coillte has plans for Portumna Forest Park, which it recently put before the people of Portumna and the surrounding areas and before us as elected representatives. Unfortunately, some of the proposals that were put to the people in the surrounding areas are unpalatable. The main aspect that is unpalatable relates to tourist residential accommodation in the middle of the park. It might sound ideal. It might seem very nice that a person would be able to hire a little cottage on the banks of the Shannon, trek through the trees and be cut off from the outside world. However, it is not safe. We saw that with Storm Éowyn and the number of felled trees. Moreover, as a local community, we do not feel that is the right environment. Portumna Forest Park is accessed by all the locals. They want to continue to be able to access it. We do not need an erosion of the natural habitat. We would like Coillte to upgrade the toilet services that are there. The toilets in Portumna Forest Park have been closed for the last three years. They have put in an eco-toilet, but it is not accessible to people with additional needs. It is not accessible to people who have bad hips or are of an older age. They are not going to use it. At the same time, we do not have any sheltered areas for picnics. My ask is that we invite the Minister to come before us to give us a concrete plan for recreational development by Coillte across the country.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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Opening up new markets across the world was mentioned in the budget statements yesterday, and one aspect of that is getting direct flights between different countries. I ask that we have a debate with the Minister for Transport about that. Obviously, relationships with America are unstable - that is probably the best way to put it - and we need to diversify our markets. Tokyo and Japan are really good opportunities for Ireland. I was there last week as part of the foreign affairs committee. Japan is very similar to Ireland in terms of its nervousness about having stable relationship with America. They are looking to the European Union, and they see Ireland as the only English-speaking country in the bloc. They see a real opportunity to enhance business between both countries but that can only be done by having direct flights between Dublin and Tokyo. That sends a message of confidence that both countries can work together. Japan is a country where you do not really get a deal today or tomorrow but once you show commitment, they really buy into it. That is why Ireland and the Department of foreign affairs has spent almost €20 million on a new embassy in Tokyo, Ireland House, and the ambassador is doing phenomenal work. In the last number of months, half the Cabinet have visited expos over there. The Taoiseach opened the embassy in July.Japan is the biggest country in Asia financially, it is part of the G7 and it is a country with which we have built up a really strong relationship over the past 70 or 80 years. When we talk about opportunities, that is one we should deal with.

I had the opportunity to meet the Mayor of Hiroshima who wanted to pass on his gratitude at being able to speak in this Chamber to Members last year. He wished everyone well. He knew there had been an election. He acknowledged the Cathaoirleach's re-election and noted that our former Cathaoirleach had progressed onto a higher level. He had fond memories of last year when he was here and he wanted to pass on his regards.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I agree with the Order of Business. I thank the Leader for making adequate time today for debate on the budget. I will not say too much about it at this point, but I want to take the opportunity to acknowledge the very significant and important work of the Parliamentary Budget Office. For those who have not called down to its stand in LH2000 this morning, I suggest they do so. If anyone has not had the opportunity overnight to read its commentary on the budget, it makes for very interesting reading. I will go into this later in the debate on the budget. The Parliamentary Budget Office is critical. It is really healthy and great in a democracy that we have a stand-alone, independent Parliamentary Budget Office that can stand over its analysis, figures and commentary with great integrity and impartiality. That is a sign of the health of a democracy and a really important service for us. They are always there to support us, as is the Library and Research Service. I want to acknowledge that.

I will take the opportunity to touch on one issue, namely local government. As there are so many segments to the budget, it is important we have the opportunity to go through it section by section. We can do that later on or hopefully throughout the next few weeks. I want to acknowledge funding of €801.7 million for local government and electoral reform which is positive. It represents an increase of €117 million. That is a significant change for local government which is to be acknowledged and I want to support that. It is about funding equalisation, the local property tax, fire services, enhanced services for local authorities, greater inclusion and awareness of local government and greater participation in local government. That is great. The Minister of State with responsibility for planning and local government, Deputy Cummins, has done a lot of work in this area. He comes from a strong background in local government, has huge expertise and is fiercely committed to it. I want to acknowledge that. Local authorities are at the front line of essential services for our citizens. As they impact on the daily lives of our communities and citizens, any additional money to local government has to be commended. I acknowledge the Minister of State’s statement that he has dedicated funding for the local democracy task force, in which this Seanad, on all sides of the House, has played a huge role. I acknowledge the Cathaoirleach’s work on that. The Minister of State said in a Government press statement this morning that a significant amount of money will be provided for in this budget for the implementation of the task force. I particularly welcome this but we may need more detail. Given the significance of local government and its interrelationship with the Seanad and those here whom it elects, I ask that we be given a briefing note, if possible, on the resources and funding for the local government task force which the Minister of State has committed to. I thank him.

Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein)
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I want to raise public transport, particularly in County Limerick. I have received a couple of emails from commuters in east Limerick who travel from Kilfinane to Colbert Station, which is the train station in the city. They travel from the east of the county to the city for work or college. I am informed that every day, there are between 70 and 80 people trying to get on a 52-seater bus. This means that at least 20 people are standing at a bus stop somewhere having to wait for the next one, which might not come for two hours or might not turn up at all. These people are finding it very difficult to get into work or college. College students who cannot afford to rent in the city and are staying at home and trying to commute in and out. The same thing is happening in west Limerick with the Killarney bus, which passes through Abbeyfeale, Newcastle West and Adare on its way into the city. By the time it hits Abbeyfeale, which is the first town it reaches in County Limerick, the bus is full. The next bus does not arrive for another two hours. Anyone trying to get into college or work for 9 a.m. does not have a choice. These young people are looking at having to buy cars and get car insurance. We all know how much car insurance is for young people. These students, and the workers, are trying their best to commute but the services are just not there. I raised this with the NTA at the transport committee before the summer recess. Its response was that it would look at capacity. Nothing has changed since. We are still in the same situation, with a lack of capacity and timings that do not work for people who need to be at certain places at certain times.

On the brighter side, I want to give a shout out to Local Link, which is absolutely amazing for a certain age group. If you are looking to get somewhere at a certain time and be back at a certain time, Local Link does not work. It is more for the middle of the day and it does not go to all locations where people need to go. For college and work, we mostly rely on Bus Éireann. We also use Dublin Coach because it goes down to Killarney but it is unreliable at the moment between capacity and timings.

Paul Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I want to raise awareness among the greater public of the issue of avian flu. There has been a confirmed case in a commercial flock in Northern Ireland. Imagine going to bed last night as someone who rears turkeys commercially and has just one major pay day in the year. You would be living on tenterhooks. It is important that we raise awareness among the public. Someone who has a backyard flock of a few hens needs to be aware of this. If one of them gets sick and dies, they need to be honest and go to the correct authorities to report the incident. Similarly, if someone comes across a dead wild bird, it is not just a case of walking by or kicking it into the hedge and letting nature take its course. It needs to be reported, analysed and tested. It is vitally important that there is awareness among the public so that we keep this infection out of our commercial and backyard flocks at all costs. My heart goes out to those who rear turkeys in particular. They have one payday in the year. We can imagine how they would feel if there was an outbreak of this disease. I would say they are having sleepless nights. If we can help in any way, we should. People should be vigilant. It is all about biosecurity and we all have a role to play in biosecurity. If people see a dead wild bird, I ask them to take the correct action and report it to the relevant authorities.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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I had a Commencement matter this morning on Storm Amy. I failed to acknowledge and recognise the staff of the local authority who worked all weekend across Roscommon and the west cleaning up the mess, along with the staff from the ESB and the forestry management services. I want to congratulate them now and thank them for doing this work in difficult times.

I also want to congratulate the 72,833 people who are receiving their junior certificate results this morning. They will be visiting school to get their results and later they will be able to get them online. I want to congratulate them and wish them every success in the future.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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As someone who lives in Kildare, I know the Deputy Leader is very much aware of the Defence Forces and everything to do with them. It is a matter of concern to me that Ireland is one of the few countries that did not apply for the funding that was made available through the EU SAFE fund, with €150 billion set aside to assist countries to bring their militaries up to speed given the level of threat that exists in the world today. As we approach Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, in light of the shutting down of Copenhagen Airport as a result of drone activity and given that other members of the European Union have provided naval service support for Denmark during its Presidency, we need to have a debate in this House - now is the time to do it - to establish exactly what plans we have to ensure dignitaries arriving into the country can land in Baldonnel Airport and can be securely transported into Leinster House, Dublin Castle or wherever meetings will take place.Similarly, we need to know what protections are in place for our skies. As the Deputy Leader knows, the air defence regiment was stood down in 2012 and we do not have one at this point in time. If somebody decides to come in here with drones, what are we going to do about them? How are we going to keep the airport open? We saw the catastrophe of the joint cyberattack and bomb scare at terminal 2 in Dublin Airport a couple of weeks ago. If I am not mistaken, 600 flights were cancelled over that period. I ask that we have a debate with the Minister for Defence to establish exactly where we are going as we approach the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Joe Flaherty (Fianna Fail)
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Yesterday was budget day, an important day in the life of any democracy. I assume many other Members, like me, were deeply troubled to see several streets in the perimeter of the Government buildings closed down. There was no protest, and no people were gathering. A small number of businesses on nearby streets were closed off. There were tourists looking at what was going on and wondering why. We have a new Garda Commissioner, Justin Kelly, and I wish him well. He has been enthusiastically welcomed by members of the gardaí. I have no doubt he will be a force for good. His predecessor, Drew Harris, probably got matters wrong when the riots unfolded in Dublin. I think he reacted heavy-handedly with his subsequent security measures around Dublin, particularly around this House. Who took the decision on the policing yesterday? There had to be north of 100 gardaí on duty yesterday for absolutely no incidents, nothing whatsoever. If I was a trader or if I lived in a community in Dublin that is rife with crime and I was looking at that, I would be annoyed. As a member of this House, I am embarrassed. We are told the Garda has highly sophisticated intelligence and is able to monitor social media to know exactly when protests are coming. Was this a decision of An Garda Síochána or was it a decision of the management of this House? This is important in a modern democracy, and we pride this House and Ireland on being a modern and progressive democracy. This is one of the few parliaments in the world where you can readily have access. You just need to contact your local TD or Senator and you can get access to the House for a tour with our wonderful ushers. We pride ourselves on the access we give but we gave a terrible message yesterday to Ireland and to Europe that we are afraid to govern. That was essentially the message. I would be troubled to think the management of this House gave that message yesterday. Was it a decision of An Garda Síochána to close down this area yesterday or was it a decision of the management of Leinster House?

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I want to raise the hunger strike being undertaken outside the Dáil by five people who are survivors of industrial schools. It has been going on since 21 September. I know many other Senators have raised their concerns in this House. I am very concerned about their health and the ongoing health issues they may endure later as a result of this hunger strike. I acknowledge there has been some engagement with the Minister for education, Deputy McEntee, and higher up in government. That door has been left open for engagement but I do not think any commitments have been made that would persuade them to come off their hunger strike. Maybe whoever is involved can dig a little bit deeper to give them some commitment to persuade them, but they are very headstrong and committed. As someone said to me, they do not feel they have anything to lose at this stage. That is also worrying. I do not think they are asking for an awful lot. They are looking for the Health (Amendment) Act medical card, which would give them increased medical supports, more than the enhanced medical card, for example. Medical supports for survivors and priority on the housing list are things that are very important for them. The last thing we want is for any one of them to be back in an institution in later life. If we could provide medical supports and caring supports, they could remain in their own home and be able to live a comfortable life. They have already suffered enough at the hands of this State.

Paraic Brady (Fine Gael)
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I wish to raise an issue of caution for our farming community. We have seen record prices being paid for cattle over recent months. Last week, we saw a springer heifer in my local area making €15,500 at Carrigallen mart. I caution the farming community that everything has a ceiling, and everything has a price and a fail value. There are a number of sales coming up, and there seems to be panic among farmers that they must meet targets to match up with the ICBF star rating. However, and this is where I have a concern, somewhere along the line you have to look at the cost of your produce, what you are buying in and the cost of what you are losing in your scheme. It might be advisable to take the penalty from the Department rather than investing in high-cost stock. We see heifers now being sold for €7,000, and upwards, on average. If it is only one animal you are losing, you are losing €300. I caution the farming community that certainly they need to look at that in the context of an investment of €7,000 or more. They need to sit down and look at the books to assess what return will be made on such an investment. There is a fear right now that farmers have lost control of spending when prices are good. I urge caution on that.

Tom Clonan (Independent)
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I wish to make some comments in light of the budget. While I welcome the modest increase in spending on disability and caring supports, the Government still has not come to grips with the fundamental human rights-based approach to disability that is necessary. The question of political judgment has been bandied about in the past number of days. I argue that political judgment on disability rights still has not got the message after last year's referendums. Let us see what happens in this month's presidential election.

I want to read from an email I got from a lady regarding disability. It really stopped me in my tracks:

Hi Tom. I have been following you on social media for a while and for some reason, at 3.30 a.m. on a Saturday, I feel compelled to tell you my story. My 11-year-old girl feels a lot of stress and worry about her brother. He has autism and a learning disability. He is a beautiful, loving boy who has many challenging needs and has no supports or services. My little girl suffers from time to time with serious stress and anxiety over her realisation that one day, she will become her brother's carer. This is a father's worst nightmare for what is currently my life will one day become hers. I would not change my life for anyone's. My whole life, my whole reason on earth, is to care for my children. I know my little girl will grow up and become a person in her own right but who will care for my son when I am gone? That sadness lives with me every day for I know that nobody will look after and care for him as much as me. I know that sometimes it feels like you are beating your head off a wall when it comes to carers' and disability rights in this country. I feel like that too but without you, without us, there would be silence.

Every single family is traumatised. Every single family is suffering moral injury and moral distress for the lack of a human rights approach. I would like a debate on this in the House almost a year to the day since we signed the optional protocol to the UN Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It is abundantly clear that the Government has not got the message on disability rights. We need a debate on that matter.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I rise today to welcome the budget yesterday. I have two or three things to say.

First, €50 million is being provided for tillage farmers. This is a huge issue. I received my nomination for the agriculture panel from the Irish Grain and Feed Association. I know the significant impact that this €50 million will have for these farmers. There is also investment in apprenticeships. I believe that apprenticeships are having a positive impact. It is about encouraging people to apply for them. Some people previously did not consider apprenticeships as an option. There are many openings for people to go through different stages. They can start their apprenticeships, go on and do their certificate and diploma, up to degree level, while being trained and working at the same time. It is a positive move and I compliment the Government on its investment in apprenticeships.

People such as carers are being considered in budget 2026. Significant resources are being put in place for those people, who carry out worthwhile jobs. Many of them help to keep people out of hospital and in their own homes. They need to be looked after on an ongoing basis.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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We started today with Senator Rabbitte, who spoke about Portumna Forest Park, which is a beautiful place, in the context of Storm Éowyn. She acknowledged the good work done by Coillte in the clean-up after the storm. There is, however, still debris with fallen trees. From a safety point of view, it is important they be removed. The Senator was right to say that is the case across the country. Priority should be given to such issues. We are lucky to have those beautiful recreational trails and it is important that we encourage people to use them and ensure they are safe to use.

The Senator raised a larger point about Portumna Forest Park and consultation on Coillte's plans to have a type of tourist and leisure facility in the centre of the park. She said there is a lot of local concern around that proposal and made the relevant point that while there are toilets there, they have been closed for the past three years. We need to do better and improve facilities for the local people who like to use Portumna Forest Park and other parks around the country. The Senator was right to say that we need to have a debate in this House about the strategy for all of our forests and forest walks. I take great pleasure from forest walks in Kildare. We will look for the Minister to come to the House for a debate.

Senator Ahearn spoke about opening new world markets and the need to have direct flights. He is one of the lucky ones who got over to Expo 2025 in Tokyo. I believe it was an informative expo and busy delegation. I talked to Senator Fitzpatrick about it. I know that the members of two committees went at the same time. It is important work. It was important that new embassy opened during the summer. The Senator was right to say that we need to build and develop that relationship. We absolutely should look for new routes. We will bring that message forward and look for a debate with the Minister for Transport.

Senator Boyhan spoke about the excellent work of the Parliamentary Budget Office. He is correct. It is important that we have an independent body to conduct analysis. I have not had the change yet to visit the stand but I look forward to doing so. It is important. I know we will have a debate on the budget later but significant moneys have been given for electoral reform. That is important. There is funding for the local democracy task force. The Senator was right to say that we need a debate in this House on the issue and we will look for such a debate. We will also look for a briefing note on the specifics of the budget. We often see the headline item but do not know what is behind it so it is important that we get a briefing note. We will look for that and share it.

Senator Collins spoke about public transport in Limerick. In one case, there is a 52-seater bus with 70 to 80 people waiting to board, and there is not another bus for two hours. That is wrong and absolutely needs to be alleviated. We cannot leave people behind. In this case, that includes students and people who are working in the college. It is about capacity. I sometimes find that Local Link, which offers an excellent service, can step in and help, particularly when there is a small overflow. We will raise the matter with the Minister for Transport.

Senator Paul Daly spoke about the issue of avian flu. I can appreciate how I would feel if I was in the business. As the Senator put it, there is one just pay day, at Christmas. At this point, when it is just over two months away, these worries are concerning. We must all be vigilant and the Senator is right to raise awareness of it. We need to report if we see anything unusual in backyard flocks - my mother has hens - or if we see dead birds on the road or wherever else. We need to report those things and to stay vigilant. It is an issue of biosecurity.

Senator Scahill spoke about Storm Amy. He wanted to acknowledge the staff of the local authorities and the ESB, and rightly so. Those people worked for 24 hours to try to get everything back. I thank the Senator for acknowledging them. We join with him in that. He went on to note that over 72,000 young people are getting their junior certificate results today. We certainly wish them all well and hope they enjoy safe and happy celebrations tonight.

Senator Craughwell spoke about the Defence Forces and money available through the EU SAFE fund to bring the military up to speed. I cannot say why Ireland did not apply for those funds. We will seek a debate because we need to be alert to all issues relating to security, particularly in the sky. We are learning a little more about cybersecurity.

The Senator also spoke about the EU Presidency and the need for oversight of the security preparations. That is not something we should be going into in an open forum such as this. From a security point of view, there are going to be security operations that absolutely need to be kept private and secret. We all understand that. On the wider aspect, we should look for a debate.

Senator Flaherty raised an interesting point and was correct to raise it. From what I understand, these actions normally come about on the basis of knowledge that there is going to be a protest. Last year, we saw rough protests and situations where people, both Members and staff, were impacted and that was wrong. It was disconcerting to see not just yesterday but over recent days the amount of money that has been spent on barriers and barricades. The gardaí around Leinster House are always courteous and I express our thanks and gratitude to them. However, we have to ask whether it is a good use of resources. The Senator asked the pertinent question as to whether the Garda or the management of the House took the decision. I would imagine it was a joint decision of the two. He is right to raise the issue. We should ask for the issue to be raised at both the Business Committee and the commission. We will ask for that from here. We pride ourselves on Leinster House being a house for the people. They can come in and view what is going on. In olden days, when I was a young one who was interested in politics, I used to come to Leinster House on budget day. I thought it sad to see so few people here yesterday, no matter what that budget was going to include. It is a big part of the parliamentary process. We need to give access to people. TDs had access for only one guest and Senators had none. That needs to be reviewed and changed.

Senator Tully spoke about survivors of industrial schools. We all share concerns about their health and welfare. Senator Boyhan raised the issue last week. I understand there was some engagement with the Minister, Deputy McEntee. It is concerning that the hunger strike has been going on for quite a period now. It started on 21 September.We have to be very concerned for those who are there. I know it is about priority on the housing list and enhanced medical card supports. As an individual, I believe it is something we should be working on but, from the Seanad, we will support engagement to come to a collaborative decision to ensure that those who are on hunger strike come off it because we are all concerned about them. We will look for the Minister to come to the House in that regard.

Senator Brady spoke about the farming community and the record prices for cattle. He spoke about a heifer that went for over €15,000. That is gobsmacking. That is a concern and he is right to flag the fact that farmers need to show caution. We cannot just throw money around. We have seen that happen in relation to property. Who is to say the same would not happen with livestock?

Senator Clonan spoke about the budget and disability supports. We will be having a discussion on the budget later on. I assume the Senator will speak about the matter at that time. I appreciate the anxiety and stress of family members. I also appreciate how a parent can be concerned about a sibling, particularly when there is only two in the family and the other sibling gets stressed and worried. Like the Senator, I know families in that situation. I totally understand it. While we will not get into a full discussion on the budget, I do want to acknowledge in a small way the significant expansion of funding for residential and respite care put in place yesterday. That is very important. When people with disabilities contact me, this is one of the biggest issues they raise. It is something I have brought up constantly. Day services are also to be expanded for those leaving school. Those two particular initiatives are really important. We need to keep going further but we are on the right track. We will certainly look for a debate on the matter.

Senator Maria Byrne highlighted three areas of the budget. One was supports for tillage farmers, whom we spoke about at length last week. The second was apprenticeships. The biggest issue we are dealing with in terms of apprenticeships is parity of esteem. Young people can earn as they learn and that is every bit as good as or, at times, even better than going straight into university. She also raised support for carers. It is great to see the income disregard rising to €1,000 for single people and €2,000 for couples. Over the lifetime of this Government, we will remove the means test entirely but the first steps are very good.

That is the end of my response to the Order of Business.