2026-01-13

I move: Tuesday's business shall be: - Motion re Appointment of Ordinary Member of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately) - Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025 (Second Stage, resumed) (to adjourn after 2 hours and 4 minutes) Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Mercosur Trade Agreement, selected by Sinn Féin. Wednesday's business shall be: - Statements and Q&A post European Council meeting of 18th December 2025, pursuant to Standing Order 133 (not to exceed 1 hour 33.5 mins, followed by 20 mins Q&A and Ministerial response for 5 mins) - Gas Safety (Amendment) Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (to conclude within 3 hours and 34 minutes) - Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 (Report and Final Stages) (to commence no earlier than 7 p.m. and to conclude within 1 hour) Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Uisce Éireann Infrastructure Delivery, Accountability and Repair Timelines, selected by Independent Technical Group. Thursday's business shall be: - Statements on Artificial Intelligence (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes) Thursday evening business shall be the Second Stage of the Derelict Sites (Amendment) Bill 2022, sponsored by Deputy Thomas Gould. Proposed Arrangements for this week’s business: In relation to Tuesday’s business, it is proposed that: 1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the extent that private members’ business may be taken earlier than 6.12 p.m. and shall, in any event be taken on the adjournment of proceedings of the resumed Second Stage of the Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025, or where those proceedings conclude within the available time, on the conclusion thereof, with consequential effect on the commencement times for the items following in the ordinary routine of business, namely, oral Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, and topical issues, and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; 2. the proceedings on the Motion re Appointment of Ordinary Member of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; and 3. in relation to the resumed proceedings on the Second Stage of the Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025 the following arrangements shall apply: (a) subject to subparagraph (iii), the proceedings shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned after 1 hour and 54 minutes and the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows: (i) the speaking slots from the arrangements for the resumed first round from Wednesday 17th December, 2025 shall be continued from the point at which they were adjourned; (ii) a second round of speeches shall be taken on conclusion of the resumed first round and in accordance with Standing Order 183, the second-round speeches shall not exceed 20 minutes in each case; (iii) where speeches conclude before the 1 hour and 54 minutes have elapsed and no other member is offering, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and; (iv) members may share time; and (b) the proceedings shall not be resumed on Tuesday. In relation to Wednesday's business, it is proposed that: 1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent: (a) the time allotted for Government Business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for that business and the Dáil may sit later than 9.30 p.m.; (b) the Statements and Q&A post European Council meeting of 18th December 2025, pursuant to Standing Order 133, shall be taken at the time when the SOS pursuant to Standing Order 25(1) would normally be taken, and on the conclusion of the Minister’s response to the statements, the sitting shall stand suspended either for one hour or until 4.10 p.m., whichever is the later; and (c) in the event the Second Stage of the Gas Safety (Amendment) Bill 2026 concludes before 7 p.m., the sitting shall stand suspended until 7 p.m. when the order of business shall resume with the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025; (d) the weekly division time may be taken later than 8.45 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the conclusion of proceedings on the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025, and the Dáil shall adjourn on the conclusion of the weekly division time; 2. the Statements and Q&A post European Council meeting of 18th December 2025, pursuant to Standing Order 133, shall not exceed 1 hour and 58.5 minutes, and the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows: (a) the arrangements for the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the arrangements contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down); (b) following the statements, questions and answers shall be taken for 20 minutes; (c) on the conclusion of the questions and answers, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed five minutes; and (d) members may share time; 3. the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Gas Safety (Amendment) Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 3 hours and 34 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto: (a) the arrangements for the first speaking round shall be in accordance with those contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down); (b) on the conclusion of the first speaking round or where speeches conclude before the 3 hours and 24 minutes have elapsed and no other member is offering, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes, whereupon proceedings shall be brought to a conclusion; and (c) members may share time; and 4. the proceedings on the Report and Final Stages of the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 shall be taken no earlier than 7 p.m. and shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment. In relation to Thursday's business, it is proposed that: 1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the extent that topical issues may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the conclusion of the Statements on Artificial Intelligence, with consequential effect on the commencement time for Second Stage of the Derelict Sites (Amendment) Bill 2022 and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; and 2. the Statements on Artificial Intelligence shall not exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes and the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows: (a) the arrangements for the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the arrangements contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down); (b) following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and (c) members may share time.

Under Standing Order 35(3), I want to-----

Sorry, but we will take that afterwards.

We have to have a debate in the House on how special classes are allocated and how the announcements of these classes are conducted. I have received many queries from parents and even school principals asking if the schools in their areas have been allocated special classes. I could not answer those questions, but if I was a Government TD, I probably could. Yesterday, backbenchers and Ministers announced classes for their own areas while leaving other communities in limbo. It is shocking to think that this Government would use classes like this as political capital and a political football. How disgraceful towards families.

The decision by Paschal Donohoe last April to give €10 million in additional funding over and beyond what was initially recommended by his officials to the World Bank raises a number of questions about what his intentions were at the time and whether he was aware that he would be taking up a senior role in the World Bank later in the year. The Minister for Finance, Tánaiste and leader of Fine Gael, Simon Harris, should come into the Dáil and answer questions on this.

We need to urgently debate the threat that Donald Trump and US imperialism pose to the entire world. The Taoiseach was at pains to downplay it earlier. We have seen nothing but a boot-licking craven response by the Irish establishment. At the start of this year, the US bombed Venezuela. It killed multiple Venezuelans as well as Cubans and kidnapped Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.

I thank the Deputy. I call Deputy Michael Collins.

The response to that from the Tánaiste was to say that the kidnapping was complex in terms of international law.

Deputy Murphy, your time is up. Thirty seconds is 30 seconds.

The UN Secretary General has been very clear that it is a breach. We need to discuss this and if the Government thinks it is okay for the US to go around kidnapping presidents it does not agree with.

No legitimacy.

I thank Deputy Murphy. I call Deputy Michael Collins.

We need an urgent debate this week with the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment regarding An Post. The announcement that the cost of a stamp is increasing from €1.60 to €1.80 comes at a time when post offices are closing all over the country and the current contracts are not stacking up. A post office in Durrus in my constituency is closing on Friday. The Government cannot stand idly by as we leave rural post offices to close one by one.

We have two Members speaking under Standing Order 35(3).

Under Standing Order 35(3), I want to propose an amendment in line with the concerns raised by Deputy O'Callaghan. I refer to the decision of Paschal Donohoe, then Minister for Finance,-----

Please, read out the amendment, Deputy.

-----to hand over €141.4 million to the World Bank, way above what the bank required. It raises very serious questions and I believe the Government needs to make statements of clarification.

On behalf of Aontú, I would like to table an amendment to the Order of Business under Standing Order 35(3). Aontú proposes an amendment to the Order of Business to add to Thursday's business and set a time in the House to discuss and debate the health implications of known carcinogens being produced under the Mercosur deal and beef produced in Brazil being permitted to enter Europe under that deal. Aontú believes a debate is necessary because the Government, through its inaction, has allowed this dangerous beef into Europe.

I note the various proposals from the Opposition Whips. Any time there is an announcement about special classes for children with additional needs, that should be welcomed regardless of who announces it. It is important, and I want to compliment both Ministers on all of the work they have done in regard to special classes. I have noted all observations. We have a busy schedule for the week. I will not be accepting any of the changes to legislation and the Order of Business stands.

Are the proposed arrangements for the week's business agreed to and the proposed amendments negatived?

No.

There will be a significant impact today on Questions on Policy or Legislation. It is likely the last three Members will not be taken. I call Deputy Mary Lou McDonald.

The Mercosur fiasco has the Taoiseach's fingerprints all over it. He claimed for years that he was defending Irish interests, yet when the decisive moment came Ireland was left isolated in a tiny minority because the Taoiseach had failed to lead, build alliances and act. France and Poland took a stand and Austria and Hungary likewise. Belgium could not support the deal an the Netherlands made its opposition clear. Ireland, on the Taoiseach’s watch, showed up late, voted “No” and utterly failed to influence events. Now this dangerous deal advances, threatening Irish farmers and exposing consumers to low standards, weaker traceability and food produced in ways that we would not tolerate here. Why did the Taoiseach let this happen? Why did he fail to build the blocking coalition that was clearly possible? Will he finally accept that his complacency, dithering and deference to Brussels have put Irish livelihoods, the environment and consumers at real risk?

That is nonsense. Everything the Deputy has asserted in relation to that issue is absolute nonsense. Over the last year, since we came into Government, we have negotiated strongly on behalf of Irish farmers on a number of fronts, including securing an extension of the nitrates derogation, which is very important for the overall agricultural industry and economy. In respect of Mercosur, we have negotiated very significant safeguards across the board, not just in terms of sanitary and phytosanitary, SPS, but also new legal instruments from the Commission, market safeguards and coming down from 10% to 5% either in reduced pricing or in volume of products. These are very significant protections that were not there. Legally binding commitments have now been put in place. That said, we do not believe they were sufficient in terms of what Irish farmers require and particularly in terms of the environmental obligations that have been placed on Irish farmers.

I call Deputy Ivana Bacik.

The Deputy is engaging in politics-----

We are sticking to time.

-----to the detriment of Irish farming and the Irish economy more generally.

Today, the Cabinet met regarding the Government's latest performance of deterrence theatre, the new proposals designed to look tough while making life harder for international protection applicants and refugees. The Tánaiste has doubled down, framing these changes as prudent but, in reality, it is posturing. The Labour Party is concerned about this. It is very regrettable because members of the Government have chosen to publicly link vulnerable people to homelessness, which is plainly not supported by evidence and is disputed by those responsible for homelessness services, such as the Dublin Region Homeless Executive. Instead of owning its failures in housing policy, it seems the Government is punching down on migrants, refugees and people leaving direct provision. This is not leadership; it is deflection. These new proposals the Government is making to tighten up family reunification are going to be very harmful and hurtful for people who have been through the system and have been granted refugee status. It is deeply regrettable and I ask the Taoiseach to reconsider these proposals and stop shifting blame for his Government's policies.

I disagree fundamentally with what the Deputy is saying. The new Act, which will be the most comprehensive Act in relation to asylum and immigration ever enacted in the history of the State, is important legislation that will offer a robust, procedurally efficient and effective framework for dealing with asylum applications. The majority of asylum applications are rejected. It is up to 67% after appeal and it can be close to 80% of applications, on first instance. Clearly, there are a lot of people applying for asylum who do not qualify and have in many cases no prospect of qualifying. It makes sense, therefore, that we have an efficient system from a timeline perspective, so that people are not waiting for years for the outcomes of their applications. Essentially, this Act will put in place a far more efficient and effective framework for dealing with asylum seekers in the country. That is a good thing. Every country has a system-----

Thank you, Taoiseach. I call Deputy Gannon.

-----and this will align with the European situation also.

It is the lack of consistency from the Taoiseach that often bothers me most. He referenced the fact that the majority of applications by those seeking international protection are turned down, yet the measures announced today and yesterday in the media are specifically targeted at those who have succeeded. Family reunification, which is factored into the Geneva Convention and the UN refugee convention, was only available to fewer than 600 people who came here last year, either to be with their wife or husband or as children to reunite with a parent. These are the people the Government has targeted with this measure by imposing a three-year wait and a financial barrier. A child who comes here unaccompanied at 16 will not be able to be reunited with a parent because they will have timed out of the system under the measures the Government has announced under its family reunification scheme. There is no consistency. This is not fair. It is a form of performative cruelty.

I do not know where the Deputy's party is in terms of this issue either, to be quite frank. Does it support-----

I am in the Dáil for Questions on Policy or Legislation. Will the Taoiseach answer the question?

Please.

Does the Deputy support a robust system that is procedurally sound, timely in terms of people not waiting for years and also one that facilitates legitimate applications and legitimate refugees fleeing conflict and war? When you have a situation where close to 70% are rejected there is an issue-----

What about the appeals?

No, stop.

It has gone on for years.

Answer the question.

People are accommodated and so on. We want legal routes to migration in this country. Migration is a good thing. We have been very positive about it and it has been important in terms of the economy, but we do it through legal routes. We want to be very clear and send clear messages in respect of illegal applications for asylum.

The Taoiseach did not answer the question at all.

It is madness.

I have regularly raised with the Taoiseach the need to strengthen our social media regulation. Recently we have witnessed the proliferation online of sexualised images of children and women made using X's Grok AI tool. This has to be a wake-up call for taking action against the further debasing of the online space. No society should stand for the targeting of people - children - like this. Does the Government believe the generation of non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse images by the Grok's AI tool on X is a criminal offence? If it is not a criminal offence, will the Government take steps to criminalise it?

As I said earlier, the prosecuting authorities need to proceed, and they will proceed if it is. I sought advice from the Attorney General in relation to the specific question the Deputy has raised and I am convening a meeting with relevant Ministers and the Attorney General, not just on that issue but on the issue more broadly.

I start by wishing everybody in the house a happy new year. On Monday, 12 January, The Echo, a Cork local newspaper known to the Taoiseach and me, reported dozens of early childcare facilities closing across Cork. In fact, 130 facilities have closed in the past five years in Cork and that is echoed throughout Ireland. Providers are warning that Government funding levels, statutory burdens and staffing pressures are making the sector financially unviable. Many parents are losing places, not just in Cork but across the country. Staff are leaving the profession and the community is left without housing. Will the Taoiseach now admit that his Government has got it wrong, its policies are actively driving the providers out of business and working families deserve better? These providers do not need additional paperwork and they certainly do not need platitudes.

We have the highest number of partner services and core funding at any point since the childcare scheme was launched in 2022, and the number continues to grow. A small number of providers have decided not to sign up for core funding for the current 2025-26 programme. As of today, 4,590 services have signed up, the highest number since 2022. An assessment of the withdrawal of providers from core funding was undertaken on 3 November. It revealed that about 4% of services had left at one point over the lifetime of the scheme to that date. If there are individual issues pertaining to specific providers, the Minister is always open to engaging with such providers. In that assessment, approximately 70% of services have now returned to core funding. Some people left and came back in again-----

Thank you, Taoiseach.

-----and these are issues the Minister will continue to engage with the providers on.

Twenty years have elapsed since the financial criteria for qualification for civil legal aid were last set. It was in 2006. It is estimated that someone who purchased goods or services in 2006 with €100 would have to pay €250 to €300 today, which means that two of every three people this State judged eligible for legal aid because of their financial circumstances would no longer qualify. I have been dealing with people who can barely buy groceries for the week and they are judged to be too affluent or wealthy to qualify for civil legal aid. That is an indefensible situation. What plans does the Government have to deal with it?

I appreciate the Deputy is raising an issue he has clearly experienced in working with his constituents and people more generally. I will engage with the Ministers for justice and public expenditure on the issue to see what we can do to improve the situation.

I would like to ask about the status of last year's changes to exempt smaller, modular and ancillary units such as granny flats or home offices up to 40 sq m, depending on the final regulation. Easing of these planning regulations to allow for larger, unattached structures to be built in people's back gardens and sites is a welcome development. This proposal to increase the stand-alone structure size will allow families to construct suitable modular buildings to suit their needs. I believe the interdepartmental and public consultations are complete. Will the Taoiseach give an indication of when the new regulations will come before this House for final ratification to allow people to move forward with being able to site and build these important units behind their main homes?

My understanding, having spoken to the Minister, Deputy Browne, and Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, recently, is that February might be the timeline because it has become much more comprehensive than was perhaps originally envisaged. Therefore, I will seek further clarification on the timeline but my understanding is that it will be around February.

I raise the issue of home help hours across the country, but particularly in my constituency. We have serious problems with people who have been allocated home help hours on the recommendation of the district nurse. They are allocated three calls per day of half an hour or an hour each, seven days per week, but staff cannot be got. No one can get anyone to work in the service. Even those providing services through agencies cannot get staff but it is particularly the case for HSE. I understand that SIPTU is balloting for strike action because of the issue of terms and conditions and the huge pressures there are. One of issues is that they are paid €15 to €16 per hour. These are people who work with people with disabilities and people who are in wheelchairs and use hoists to get them in and out of bed. Surely, in our society they are worth more than that. If we are to provide this service for people, we have to pay the staff properly. Earlier, we talked about the money CEOs are getting. If we put that kind of investment into providing and paying adequately the people who-----

The Taoiseach to respond.

-----provide these services, we might have a chance of being able to provide it to people.

I thank the Deputy. He did not mention the specific county. I presume he is talking about Sligo-Leitrim.

Yes, Leitrim, Sligo and Donegal.

He was not specific but I am taking it to be there. The HSE is continually recruiting. If particular issues have been brought to the Deputy's attention, he might come back to me on them and I can follow up with the HSE in the region.

The three housing grants administered by local authorities are very effective. They need to be reformed in general but specifically the older person's grant does, which the Taoiseach will be aware, allows for works such as roof repair, heating repairs, windows and doors and so on. There is a minimum age requirement of 66 years of age. There is discretion at local authority level to go below that age in hardship cases. We need to look at and formalise that. For example, someone who is 59 years of age on a long-term disability payment might need to get a roof repair carried out. It is not acceptable that is at the discretion of the local authority. The grants need to be formalised in this respect and we need to provide for people on such long-term payments so the age needs to be looked at in the grants.

That is a fair point. I appreciate the Deputy raising it. I will work with the Minister in respect of that proposal or idea. I will certainly explore it with the Minister because it is a good idea. It makes sense.

I need to discuss the rail service between Wexford and Dublin that serves huge population growth areas such as Gorey, Arklow and Rathdrum. On a daily basis, my offices in Gorey and Arklow are contacted by commuters who are deeply frustrated and inconvenienced by the current service. The Wexford to Dublin train now only offers 185 seated tickets. By the time the train picks up commuters in Arklow or Rathdrum, it is filled to capacity with people standing for the entire journey and reports of overcrowding. To put it simply, two trains leave Gorey that will arrive in Dublin before 9 a.m. That is compared with five trains from Dundalk and seven from Portlaoise. It is not a fair reflection at all on the people of Wicklow and Wexford. The all-island strategy published in July last year recommended improvements on this line but it is simply not happening based on the most recent report that came out in December. More than 300,000 people live on this line. This issue is not going away and it needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue, which I have no doubt is urgent and of concern. The Deputy will be aware that many rail projects are covered by the national rail review. Unprecedented capital funding has been allocated to rail projects over the next five years. I will talk to the Minister about the specific project the Deputy raised.

The Taoiseach will be aware that Heba Muraisi is now on the 72nd day of her hunger strike in New Hall prison in Britain. Two more people have been on strike for more than 50 days so they could die any day. They are very much in that lethal period. Ms Muraisi has not been tried or convicted but has been in prison for a year, well over the usual six month pre-trial detention limit. The Taoiseach does not have to approve of Palestine Action to be concerned about pre-trial detention of more than a year for public order offences - and that is what this is - or to recognise legitimate grievances about their welfare. Has the Taoiseach raised this and, if he has not, will he raise urgently with the British Government his concerns about the nature of their detention and welfare?

In the first instance, irrespective of the context, I agree that every effort should be made to end the hunger strike and have these issues resolved through the legal and judicial processes as quickly as possible. I have not specifically intervened in this case but I will discuss the specific issues with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. However, ultimately it is a matter for the British Government in this instance.

I ask the Taoiseach to make contact.

I hope the issue will get resolved in a way that will prevent any loss of life or further injury or ill health.

I ask the Taoiseach to make contact.

Deputy, it is not a back and forth.

For a number of weeks, it was not possible to log on to the X app without being confronted by extremely disturbing sexualised imagery. Grok has created thousands of these images with a significant number being child sexual abuse imagery. This is not an online phenomenon. Online abuse is a gateway to offline abuse and exploitation. X's European headquarters are less than a kilometre from this Chamber and the fact that company benefits from our favourable taxation arrangements for tech companies means the State has skin the game and could be inadvertently somehow complicit in this abusive, illegal action. It is clear from the creation of Grok that X cannot regulate itself. We need to ensure there is a Garda investigation into what has happened. Coimisiún na Meán must be given adequate powers and resources to regulate that.

Thank you, Deputy.

Will the Taoiseach commit to come back as soon as possible on what he said about convening a Cabinet meeting?

Many people are gravely concerned about what is happening with Grok and the thousands of images, that are illegal on the face of it, without question, particularly in respect of minors, women and citizens more generally. The State is not complicit in this but we will robustly examine all of this to ensure the full legal instruments available to the State will apply here. If we need more laws, we will enact further laws.

The Taoiseach will be familiar with the fact that Local Link bus services have greatly improved mobility and quality of life in many rural communities. However, I ask him to visit east Cork where a Local Link service has not been developed and where the existing bus service is nothing short of an absolute shambles. In villages such as Ballycotton, Cloyne, Aghada and Saleen, residents may as well be living on a remote island when it comes to public transport. Not only that but they face entrenched traffic gridlock around the Lake view roundabout every morning and evening. I am aware the public service obligation for the Department of Transport is chronically underfunded. The Department has excellent officials who want to enhance existing Local Link routes sand develop new ones but they are prevented from doing so by the Department of public expenditure. The public want Local Link in east Cork, the Department of Transport wants it and local operators are keen to provide those services, yet the cold accounting of the Department of public expenditure says "No". That Department is neglecting its duty to the wider economy and society as a whole. This is a Fianna Fáil Ministry. Will the Taoiseach come down to east Cork and see for himself the level of need there?

I have been to east Cork on many occasions and continue to go there. The Local Link service has been a very significant enhancement for public transport across rural Ireland and has undergone significant expansion in recent years. The been a huge investment in the Cork to Midleton railway line has had a huge impact on east Cork and on to Cobh and has made public transport a real option. Further significant investment in that commuter rail service will increase the frequency of the service and its availability for people to go to work or to use it for other activities. As soon as the resources become available, we will be in a position to expand the Local Link. There are limits to what the Government can do in any one year. Our public expenditure, both current and capital, is at a very high level, and we have been criticised for our public expenditure outlays.

It is severely neglected.

This is not a back-and-forth discussion. The Deputy should write to the Taoiseach.

As temperatures plummet, thousands of people with disabilities face increased hardship and isolation due to the Government's poor budget decisions. People with disabilities are €1,400 worse off due to the removal of essential supports in budget 2026. I have been contacted by many constituents over the Christmas period who are struggling with these cuts. Donegal is an isolated area and we have had bad snow and ice. People with disabilities have been basically abandoned. I want the Taoiseach to think in particular about disability and people living in defective homes during this cold snap. Disabled people are at greater risk of poverty and social exclusion. Two in five people with a disability are unable to afford essentials like heating and clothing. One in five people with disabilities lives in constant poverty. Will the Taoiseach address this by introducing an emergency winter payment for people with disabilities?

In the budget we made significant efforts to support people with disabilities and people on low incomes in respect of fuel. There was a basic €10 per week increase in the maximum rate of all State pensions. There were big increases in child support payments. There was an increase of €16 to €78 per week for children over the age of 12 and children under the age of 12 received an additional €8 to bring the payment to €58 per week. The fuel allowance will increase by €5 per week from January 2026. This gives an additional €140 over the fuel season. The fuel allowance now covers 26% of households, up from 23%. The extension to the family working payment to come in during March will be backdated to January. We have extended the reduced VAT rate of 9% on gas and electricity until the end of 2030. Record funding has been made available for home energy upgrades, retrofitting and solar PV via the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, with €558 million allocated. Then there is the microgeneration income tax exemption and so on. We have put in place a lot more reliefs to support those most in need.