Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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145. To ask the Minister for Finance to outline measures being taken to safeguard economic resilience given the Central Bank’s warnings on global market volatility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66469/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My Department continuously monitors global economic developments, including volatility in financial markets, for their potential impact on Ireland’s economy.Given this and other risks, Government has prioritised boosting the resilience of the Irish economy. That is why Budget 2026 focussed on investment. This will help maintain competitiveness and boost productivity which is the foundation for long-term improvements in living standards.Indeed, the Government has already been making significant strides in this regard. In July, Government set out in the National Development Plan its strategy to invest in the strategic objectives of energy, water, housing and transport.In September, together with the Taoiseach and Minister Burke, I launched the Government’s Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity - a whole-of-Government plan focusing on the domestic drivers of competitiveness.In August, I launched the Government’s Action Plan on Market Diversification with Minister Burke, which outlines the key areas on which we need to focus our efforts to ensure continued resilience and diversification.Maintaining the resilience of the public finances to any potential future shocks is a central pillar of Government’s fiscal strategy. Indeed, by the end of this year, we will have invested some €16 billion of ‘windfall’ tax receipts into the Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund. More generally, the best way to ensure that Government is in a position to respond to any future downturn is by running headline budgetary surpluses.