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local authorities to profile their stock, prioritise interventions and plan capital works effectively. With this knowledge in hand, local authorities can budget effectively, avoid costly emergency repairs and extend the life of their properties. The ICT solution has been implemented nationally to manage the housing asset

people since January 2020. That is an increase of 26%. The budget has gone up by 30% and the staffing has gone up by 26%. Median waiting times for patients attending the emergency department are within 3% of the national average. For those admitted to the hospital through

apprenticeship budget. This pressure is primarily linked to the cost of State allowances paid to apprentices during their off-the-job training phases. Like the Deputies opposite, I have heard about this both officially and on the grapevine. It is an issue that has emerged very recently … million in 2025. There has been more than a doubling of funding. This includes a record €77 million investment as part of budget 2025, the largest ever allocation to the apprenticeship system in the history of the State

budget 2025, two further teams and additional posts have been funded for 2025. In the meantime, individuals who require treatment for dual diagnosis are being supported by the relevant HSE social inclusion addiction services in their community. For hospital admissions, people with dual diagnosis are treated through emergency

budgets must be poverty-proofed and set against the targets of the anti-poverty strategy. At a very basic level, we need a radical change in housing policy. One in four children lives in conditions of overcrowding and more than 4,700 children are living in emergency accommodation

then Minister, Deputy McEntee, we significantly increased the maximum penalties for those who assault a member of An Garda Síochána, or indeed our emergency services more generally. I thank the Deputy for highlighting that and join with him in the condemnation of that. As he knows … allocation of Garda resources. Of course, the Minister for justice and the Government are responsible for making sure the gardaí have the resources, budget and policy they need to do their job effectively. I am informed that when allocating and transferring garda members to and from any division

Taoiseach has said that a key issue for him in the budget will be child poverty. I agree with the focus, but his words ring very hollow because we have heard all this before. The previous Government made reducing child poverty a priority. What has happened since … doubled to more than 100,000 in 2024. That is not a blip. Nearly 5,000 children are now homeless and living in emergency accommodation. That so many children are being failed and left behind at a time when the State coffers are overflowing is utterly shameful

grant they have is the same as 2008, nearly two decades ago. How are principals expected to pay costs for 2025 with 2008 budgets? A record number of schools are applying to the Department for financial assistance. Many schools still have to ask for voluntary contributions. Principals … burnout. When will the Government increase the capitation grant to a sustainable level for schools to pay the bills, have a buffer for emergencies and enhance teaching and learning

they face in meeting day-to-day expenditure requirements. There have been improvements in recent years in capitation payments and I hope that budget 2026 will provide for a further increase. School principals and boards of management outline clearly the need for further financial assistance. Energy costs, including … ongoing maintenance costs. I am aware of small schools that have substantial professional fees to pay for the preparation of applications for emergency minor works projects, all coming from the capitation grant, without certainty of approval of such applications. Classrooms need to be properly resourced and there cannot

homes; and agrees that the Government must: — create a dedicated Department of Housing, with an annual multi-million euro maintenance fund starting in Budget 2026, to allow local authorities recoup the costs of improving and upgrading existing stock, including vacant council homes; — remove the Department of Housing, Local … hundreds if not thousands of families it will make a real difference. The families who need these empty homes are in emergency accommodation, are sharing houses between three generations, or are using box bedrooms. The Minister's colleague, Deputy Séamus McGrath, recently told me that if Sinn Féin

local authority wants to prevent a person or family becoming homeless, it must decide whether it is taking it out of the maintenance budget, which again results in the issue of not addressing problems like voids, and it is forced to make decisions between taking people … social housing in this country and in parts of Dublin, as I said, from Ballymun and other parts of the city. An emergency motion that was passed at Dublin City Council last night called on the Minister to reverse his decision to cut funding to these social housing

detention under the Mental Health Act, receive a letter or advice to attend an approved centre such as a psychiatric hospital or emergency department. He continued: The person is not obliged to attend. And in practice, we have seen many individuals in acute psychological crisis simply walk away … godsend, he remains concerned that CAST and the pilot project has not received its own funding but instead works out of existing budgets. In conjunction with the Minister for justice, will the Minister of State support this project and following the evaluation that will be carried

This is shocking news emerging about the plane crash. I want to deal with the issue of the cost of living. I was going to raise the issue of education and how some schools are under pressure to keep the lights on. However, I see the Fine Gael … asking for phone pouches? These price rises should not be going ahead. Instead, a cost-of-living package should be included in the budget. This should include a substantial amount for energy credits. Will the Tánaiste ensure there is not a hike in electricity prices, as has been

From a data perspective, on the points the Deputy made around key performance indicators, KPIs - whether it is delivered on time and on budget - I agree we need to see more happening in this space and that will be part of what happens through our data collection … support SMEs and, with that, regional development and the wider economy. The awarding of a public contract can act as a springboard for emerging micro-enterprises and SMEs to expand and export. I was delighted to meet some of the SMEs in that boat in recent months

projects. Some 500 social homes were pulled overnight. How can a Government justify cutting funding for social housing in the middle of an emergency? It is down to a lack of understanding. My understanding is that the Minister pulled the funding because the Government said those homes were … like the homes for Ireland State saving scheme, which could be putting billions of euro into delivering affordable homes, never mind using the budget surplus to directly fund local authorities, not-for-profit housing bodies and the Land Development Agency to immediately fast-track the projects they could

does not lead. It is entangled in the process, paralysed by indecision and blind to the urgency of this generation’s housing emergency. However, let us not pretend those bringing forward this motion have all the answers. They have spent years shifting the blame from government to local … surprised. I congratulate my friends on this and agree wholeheartedly that we must have a permanent, ring-fenced refurbishment beginning with budget 2026. We must end the spending caps that cripple local authorities to deliver. We must have a national standard of a 12-week turnaround period

repairs. Of these, 87 are eligible for €11,000 in voids funding and 28 are being funded entirely through the council's revenue budget. The current funding deficit stands at €1.4 million. There is a forecast deficit of €5 million to refurbish 105 units, which leaves a total … call for the elimination of all voids, which they should do. These things should not exist. We are in a housing emergency. As others have said, they are literally the low-hanging fruit. Every day, I hear somebody in this House talk about vacant council homes

housing delivery further in the short term and secure a sustainable level of future supply that will help us to meet unmet and emerging demand. At the same time, we fully acknowledge that housing remains an enormous challenge. The number of new homes coming on stream each year … Regarding calls for the Government to build capacity of the construction sector, I argue a concerted effort is already under way. For example, budget 2025 has seen the single largest investment of core apprenticeship funding since the formation of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation