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reduce this payment, we reduce the capacity of communities to host and if we reduce capacity, more people will end up in emergency accommodation. That means more rushed evictions and more upheavals. Without a shadow of a doubt, we should improve the scheme where necessary. Let us tighten … provide oversight if there is evidence of abuses but let us not destroy something that works just to tick a budget box. What we need right now is certainty. We need clarity for host families. We need stability for those still fleeing the war and we need compassion

homelessness. Yet there is such a poverty of ambition when it comes to the Government’s measures on housing in the budget, with barely a mention of homelessness in either Minister’s speech yesterday. There were other terrible mistakes as well, including the slashing of tenant in situ … funding last year, no child and family homeless action plan yet and no updated homelessness prevention framework. Of the funding going to emergency accommodation, 70% is going directly to private providers. This means the Government is paying a high price for the failure to prevent homelessness, but children

Mayo, Sligo and Wexford, and also Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown, providing crucial out-of-hours support to people presenting in crisis. In the community, budget 2027 will provide two new crisis resolution teams, one each in Wexford and north Tipperary, and six new drop-in Solace crisis cafés … each for Carlow, Louth, Wexford and north Tipperary and two more for Dublin, giving people experiencing a crisis an alternative to attending an emergency department. We will also provide an additional 24 suicide crisis assessment nurses, SCANs, to complete the roll-out to the eight remaining counties. This

seek to provide sporting facilities proximate to new housing developments, while also taking account of the sporting preferences of our new and emerging communities. Given the challenges of increased demand and a growing population, I consider there is real merit in the development of municipally backed, shared, multi … facilities and I encourage national governing bodies, NGBs, of sports and local authorities to collaborate in this regard. As part of budget 2026, I was pleased to announce a €3 million multi-annual allocation to support the development of a modern and professional football academy system that will

week before. There is an alternative but, of course, it is one the Government refuses to take. This is a very wealthy country. Budget 2026 projects a surplus of €5.1 billion and over the past three years there has been a surplus of €42.2 billion. The Future Ireland … Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund have €20 billion. This Government can well afford to reinstate energy credits and to introduce an emergency winter payment. If that is not enough, there are huge financial moneys available. Twelve Irish billionaires own €46 billion. That exceeds the combined wealth

their energy bills under the Minister’s watch. This comes after the Government slashed cost-of-living supports in this year's budget. It left households to fend for themselves, including elderly people and people living alone. People with disabilities were left €1,400 worse … really shameful and the price increases since this war began have turned a cost-of-living crisis into a cost-of-living emergency. Where has the Government been? It has been missing in action for the past two weeks. Throughout that time families have really been suffering. Many

election but, first thing after an election, promise after promise is broken. The Government brought forward a budget that had inflation rates nearly half of what they are currently. Things are worse off. That is why people in wheelchairs were outside the Dáil today. That is why they … coming up in the middle of a storm saying to the Government and the Minister that they need emergency supports this winter. The Minister needs to hear the pleas of the nearly 500,000 people who cannot heat their homes at this point in time

major issue for her constituents and for people in the mid-west more broadly. I could quote figures showing the increased budget, the increased staffing and the increase in beds that have taken place, but I accept there is much more to do. That is why the previous … Minister for Health, as the Deputy's colleague Deputy Cullinane will know, asked HIQA last year to lead a review into urgent and emergency care capacity in the mid-west region, including consideration of the need for a second ED. An interim update is expected this month

placements under a new initiative, as outlined in the HSE’s 2026 national service plan. In addition, with additional funding secured in recent budgets, new HSE housing co-ordinators and residential planning and review teams will be in place this year to co-ordinate and oversee the delivery … residential placements. The HSE continues to work to increase the capacity of section 38 and 39 providers and reduce dependence on emergency placements with for-profit providers. Every effort is made by the HSE to provide residential services as close to family and natural supports as possible

Government decided that the cost-of-living crisis was over as soon as the general election was. That is why it used the budget to withdraw the cost-of-living measures that it used to buy the general election. That included a cruel €1,400 cut for disabled … targeted measure. Since taking over as Minister for Finance, the Tánaiste has ignored the very reasonable and modest request for €400 emergency payment in order that people can pay their winter heating bills. He has lectured workers, disabled people and carers that he has to be responsible

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

position to deliver an expansionary budget. We have stuck to these principles in designing a coherent package. It is the first of five budgets in the lifetime of this Government and the first of five instalments, as it were, in terms of delivering on our commitments. The Minister … purpose, to stimulate housing development. Everybody in this House has said - I have heard it time and again - that there is a housing emergency, and there is. They have asked us to do more and to use every lever and do everything we can. We have decided

have expanded significantly in recent years. The National Talent Academies network, covering film and television drama, animation and visual effects, VFX, ensures that emerging talent across the regions can access structured development pathways. The Minister of State referred to the regional crew academies in Galway, Limerick and Wicklow … essential if we want a sustainable industry in the long term. The Bill sits alongside the substantial Government support delivered through recent budgets. Through budget 2026, for example, funding for Screen Ireland will rise to €42.96 million, an increase of over 5%. This is a clear signal

wondering who to call. When those words finally come, our response matters. Last year in this Chamber, I spoke about people arriving in emergency departments in acute mental health distress. I recall asking for dedicated, dignified crisis pathways with trained staff, appropriate spaces and timely access to care … what has changed. As my party's spokesperson on mental health, I welcome the commitments made over the past year and in budget 2027, including the allocation of 300 additional mental health posts for 2026, investment in early intervention and talking therapies, and the new child and youth

specialist mental health assessment. There is a particular challenge out of hours and that needs to be fixed. People who present at an emergency department in the midst of a mental health crisis are often vulnerable. They deserve compassionate and specialist care. Above all, as I know … deserve to know that help is available and accessible to them. I welcome the additional €108 million allocated to mental health services in budget 2027. That is a very positive development that will, as I understand it, provide for an additional 285 clinicians across the services and support

House should be aware that a protest will take place this Saturday against the failure to deliver the emergency winter payment. The disability organisations, despite meeting with the Minister and his officials several times, have called for that protest, which I will attend. There is a conversation happening … about a permanent cost-of-disability payment and I really welcome that as a direction of travel. However, there was no repeat in budget 2026 of the €400 payment in budget 2025. The Minister is saying that from budget 2027 on, there will be a payment. The lived

fees were introduced more than 30 years ago. A further €150 reduction is contained in this budget, which means that over two successive budgets, I have cut the fee by €650. That is a measure that benefits 110,000 higher education students. A further 16,000 apprentices benefit … must also look to providing skills for the future to ensure our economy and society have the capacity and resilience to respond to emerging technologies, emerging trends and, indeed, the patterns of demographics. In 1849, in what is now known as University College Cork, UCC, George Boole became

with deposits and mortgage limits. These schemes are not abstract policy instruments. They are enabling thousands of households to purchase their first homes. Budget 2026 has continued the record level of investment in social housing, with €2.9 billion in capital allocated to support the delivery of social homes … social housing programme will increase the supply of stock available to allocate to households on the social housing waiting list, including households in emergency accommodation. I am acutely aware of the profound impact homelessness has on individuals, particularly children, and addressing homelessness is a key priority under Delivering

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

active applications for residential services, with 281 assessed as priority 1. We are investing and there are investment plans in the current budget, with an extra 20% to create additional places in new residential developments and so forth. I have put it on the agenda of the next … than just the allocation of funding, though we will have to allocate funding. How this has evolved is unacceptable. The focus is on emergency solutions all the time. Many elderly parents are very distressed and anxious, understandably so, about what will happen to their loved ones if they

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

ensure the delivery of safe, effective cancer services in all regions, working to reach the same high standards across the country. This new budget approach will build on the success of the national cancer strategy, which has, over the years, fostered a culture of improvement and innovation … supported by our 2025 programme for Government commitments, the acute oncology nursing service has expanded, keeping ever more cancer patients out of emergency departments when they feel unwell. The rollout of the SSMFU framework is also helping recovering patients to avoid unnecessary hospital outpatient appointments, and it provides

families under pressure, helping workers with the cost of living and investing in the services and infrastructure on which our future depends. However, budget 2027 is not just an exercise in allocation. It is also an exercise in reform, simplifying how the State works, improving how public services … staff resources are deployed and a renewed emphasis on accelerating infrastructure delivery. Reform can never be an occasional exercise or a response to emerging pressures. It must sit at the heart of everything we do. Through the accelerating infrastructure task force, we have made great strides on infrastructure

vital that we continue to have the staff and resources necessary to expand special education provision. Housing received a major uplift in the budget. The expansion of the living city initiative will help to address vacancy and dereliction and hopefully bring more houses into the market. The scheme … over-the-shop premises for residential purposes is also a good idea. Far too many people are homeless, living in emergency accommodation or in precarious and uncertain living conditions. We all know this is not good enough. We must continue to accelerate the delivery of homes through

child poverty and well-being co-ordinated through the programme office. The second budget report captures a wide range of initiatives in budget 2025 which reflect the cross-government ambition to reduce child poverty. I was delighted recently to publish the programme office's first progress report, Child … Adapting to Accelerate Change in Children's Lives. The report presents progress updates for the six focus areas while acknowledging challenges and highlighting emerging lessons and priorities. The impact of the programme office is also outlined. I am encouraged that the report shows the programme office has genuinely