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attend the emergency department. We have seen an 18% reduction in those who need to attend the emergency department as a result of that crisis cafe. In budget 2026, I secured funding for 40 whole-time equivalents for model 4 hospitals to put crisis nursing teams into emergency

supporting the hyper scaling of technology companies and start-ups. We saw some measures in the budget and, hopefully, there are more to come in future to support the emergence of an indigenous technology industry here. Some of the steps we have taken could be adapted in other

provisions within the new HSE capital plan and these decisions will be made. In budget 2026, over €1.5 million has been provided to improve access to health services for people living in emergency accommodation. That is not taking away from the importance of this capital infrastructure required

that we do so. We published the foreign earnings deduction review on budget day. It found that the policy objective to support Irish businesses seeking to develop exports to new markets remains valid, particularly considering emerging challenges, heightened levels of uncertainty across the global economy and trends towards

develop new buildings, new infrastructure or additional accommodation schemes. The overall capital budget is not just focused on new builds and additional accommodation. A significant proportion of it invests in minor works, summer works and emergency works. There are also ICT grants, as well as funding that

housing policy. The first resolution relates to the 9% VAT rate on apartments. This is to fix the fact that the Government's budget night resolution did not actually cover large parts of the apartment market, such as dual contracts, construction services or apartments built for rent … resolution is no better because the Government failed to anticipate the knock-on effects of its VAT rate changes. We now need an emergency fix to the help-to-buy scheme just to ensure that apartments taxed at 9% still qualify for a scheme that has been proven

strategy, Connections for Life. Across the board, we have seen mental health promotion and early intervention through specialist mental health services. This record budget will allow for a focus on improving support for people in mental health crises in hospitals and in the community through an additional … crisis supports and suicide prevention. Significant progress has been made over the past three years to develop alternative crisis mental health pathways. However, emergency departments continue to see high volumes of mental health presentations. Investment this year will be used to establish specialist nursing teams in all model

countries in the world, with a substantial budget surplus, that did not introduce this payment. Instead, it made disabled people poorer to the tune of more than €1,000. This question is an appeal to the Government to introduce an emergency winter payment to offset the extra cost

emergency powers and legislate that this happen now? We have the commitment of the House that it needs to happen now. The people of the mid-west need this now. The biggest thing here is we have gone almost €1 billion over budget with the children's hospital

social housing tenants in receipt of HAP would likely result in significant increases in presentations to homeless services and increased demands for homeless emergency accommodation. It would also reduce the supply of properties for prospective HAP tenants, which would also likely lead to increased homeless presentations … here there are a range of Government supports in place to improve energy efficiency of accommodation in the private rental sector. In budget 2026 we announced record funding of €558 million for Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland residential and community energy upgrade schemes. This is an increase

forces and El Obeid in North Kordofan is at risk of an all-out assault. Reports indicate that civilians along these emerging front lines are subject to similar horrors as those experienced during the battle for El Fasher. Throughout this war, control of territory has shifted repeatedly … civilians in Sudan and those in neighbouring countries displaced by the crisis. In the current global crisis of funding cuts to humanitarian aid budgets, I assure the House that Ireland will remain steadfast in maintaining our focus on reaching the furthest behind first. Our assistance is delivered through

world that has record national surpluses. The Government has made repeated commitments to equality and inclusion, but it has introduced a budget that will make disabled people poorer. They cannot wait until next year. As already stated, the Department of Finance report from 2021 referred to the average … more than €10,000. It is €15,000 now . Disabled people are appealing to the Minister and the Government to introduce an emergency winter payment to offset the cost of disability. The Minister can continue the process of consultation, but they need this payment now, particularly

Over the past five years alone, 1,300 projects have been progressed. These are new schools, large-scale projects, additional accommodation projects and emergency works projects. There have been 1,300 projects over the past five years. That is €6 billion that is being spent right across … team in the Department because we and they are a team that can deliver a significant amount of work within the budget we have. Obviously, the more money we have, the more schools we will be able to build. We now have a budget of €7.55 billion

simply cannot escape responsibility for a disastrous and ongoing housing and homelessness crisis, which has plunged so many people into the misery of emergency accommodation, rotting for years and sometimes decades on housing lists and being crucified by unaffordable rents. Indeed, as reported by the Society … middle-income families are begging for help to get them through the Christmas months. This is from a Government that has record budget surpluses. The truth is that years of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Government have left us with this disastrous housing and homelessness crisis, with

importance of front-line policing. It is very welcome that An Garda Síochána conducted two recruitment campaigns this year and that the budget for 2026 set aside funding for the recruitment of 1,000 gardaí. Cork city has been under-resourced for many years, due to disproportionately … Garda stations are inaccessible - they are simply not open. Will the Tánaiste please convey the message back that there will be another class emerging from Templemore in November and Cork city needs a fair and proportionate allocation of those gardaí

mental health services. We still lag behind the internationally accepted norms for spending on mental health as a proportion of our budget. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, has done some tremendous work in this regard. We have identified the tsunami of mental health issues that have arisen … pathways for them to achieve treatment. I have dealt with situations where young people in crisis, who are actively suicidal, have sat in emergency rooms for eight or nine hours waiting for an assessment. Putting specialist nursing teams into all model 4 emergency departments is a good initiative

strategic policy to look at options. Option A was another 96-bed unit, option B was expanding the emergency department and option C was a hospital on another site that could have a step-down facility. We came up with a consensus at meetings of all parties … private hospital built in Limerick in 16 months, from the time the sod was turned until it was finished. It was built on budget and on time. Our children's hospital has gone €1.2 billion over budget. Why is it that every project a Department takes on goes

hours of nine to five, two outpatient scanning per week from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and 24-hour seven-day-per-week emergency department services provided. There is always a well-acknowledged challenge in respect of radiographers and radiologists but it certainly shows that there is capacity … Monaghan hospital a number of times. It is really important to express how much investment in additional staff have gone in there. The budget has increased by 54% since 2020 and the number of staff in the Monaghan element of the Cavan and Monaghan hospital has increased

area. The Department of Education and Youth is in receipt of three applications under the additional school accommodation scheme and three for the emergency works scheme from Pobalscoil Chloich Cheannfhaola. All applications from schools for major capital works are considered against a range of factors. The priority … existing capacity in schools and, in tandem with this, to manage the progression of the existing pipeline of projects within available budgets and in line with the Government's infrastructure guidelines. This allows the Department to keep a strong focus on the provision of additional capacity to cater

strategic supply chains. The forum also monitors the implementation of the road haulage strategy and provides an opportunity for stakeholders to identify emerging challenges at the earliest opportunity. The road haulage strategy provides a roadmap for how the sector can decarbonise to meet the targets … supports to assist the sector on its journey to zero emissions. The zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle, ZEHDV, purchase grant scheme has a budget of €3.5 million in 2025. It supports the purchase of zero-emission vehicles and associated charging infrastructure. The fleet assessment audit offers businesses

position. Very few Ministers are directly sending items for procurement or are directly involved in the procurement process. When this emerged, the facts were established. The signage is being replaced at no additional cost. Ensuring value for money and financial management are critical in all elements of public … said here, there are many good projects delivered by people who believe in our public service and do deliver, in many cases on budget and on time, across many sectors in our economy. It is important to balance that with the concerns the Deputy has raised over

fully supported by everyone in the Government and, I think, by everyone in the Opposition in making that progress. We have increased the budget of UHL very significantly, from €265 million in 2019 to €507 million last year. We have increased the number of staff and are putting … prepare procurement. Processes need to move in parallel. You can save a significant amount of time. We will also need to see emergency legislation in this House on the delivery of critical infrastructure. If the Government and the Opposition really want to get things moving, we should work

this evening, and there has been a little bit of "Paschal said this and Paschal said that", Deputy Doherty made the point about budget books being different in the past. I will constructively engage with him and Deputy O'Callaghan on that. Transparency and maximum information … thankfully, this year seeing the highest number of first-time buyers in this country since 2007. We are living through a housing emergency but that statistic should not be ignored

over. The increases announced in budget 2026 are in addition to the 12% increases as part of budget 2025. In the last three budgets there has been an overall increase of 49.7%. That said, I appreciate there is more work we need to do and more support … schools to examine what are the actual costs, where are the hidden costs that maybe we do not see every day that can emerge and add a significant challenge to schools if they are not planned for or pre-empted and of course there is the pressure that

were able to build housing at affordable levels for working people in this country. How can we not do it now with record budget surplus? We can but the Government is having its policies dictated to it by the people who are profiteering from the housing misery … understand the Government is simply doing what the speculators and profiteers want and has no interest whatsoever in the people rotting in emergency accommodation or in the lives, hopes and aspirations of young people and working people in this country who have been completely locked

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the plans to expand or restructure Ireland's diplomatic and trade missions abroad, particularly in emerging markets, including the budget allocated, the timeline for implementation, and expected benefits for trade and diplomatic engagement; and if she will make a statement

Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health the reason Budget 2026 contains no emerging needs allocation for Local Drugs and Alcohol Task Forces, despite clear evidence of new patterns of drug use for example, crack cocaine and increased demand for harm reduction services. [61650/25

disability payment, given the findings of a report (details supplied); if he will consider implementing an emergency winter payment to offset the withdrawal of once-off supports provided in Budget 2025, in view of rising energy and living costs during the winter months; and if he will make

electronic health records versus the future potential of new and emerging technologies; the areas of healthcare delivery this will encompass; the sequence of priority the HSE will be directed to focus on in the forthcoming budget year and over the next five years (details supplied

disabled persons are facing a real and substantial loss of income compared with 2025 (details supplied); if he will commit to introducing an emergency winter payment to offset the extra cost of disability, and bring forward a cost of disability payment without further delay; if he will ensure … deliver fair, adequate supports that reflect the real costs people with disabilities face; and if his Department will conduct a review of how Budget 2026 will impact disabled households over the winter months, when fuel and living costs peak; and if he will make a statement