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characterise the next Government because for the Irish people, the challenges I just mentioned, particularly in housing and disability, are nothing short of emergencies and they want to see a Government meet them with the mantra "delivery, delivery, delivery". While it is clear that a period of some … will both champion from the top. For my own part, I am looking forward with confidence, optimism and energy to delivering five budgets together

stamp duty levy on the bulk purchase of homes, investors have bulk bought half a billion euros worth of residential property; and - in Budget 2025, the Government increased the stamp duty levy, which does not apply to apartments, from 10 per cent to 15 per cent; further notes … renters. Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach. We are bringing forward this motion today because the housing crisis is a catastrophe and an emergency. The Government's plans are failing disastrously and we need a new approach. We are calling on the Government to be brave and ambitious

staff. At the end of 2024, it had 75 staff and an annual budget of €12 million. There is also a commitment in budget 2025 that the number of staff will increase by a further 30, bring it to more than 100 people working in the NCSC … NCSC specific powers to engage in a range of scanning-type activities to identify systems vulnerable to specific exploits. The national cyber emergency plan was published in May 2024, and it sets out the national approach for responding to serious cybersecurity incidents that affect the confidentiality, integrity

scheduled for this year. Six additional emergency medical technicians are planned for Cavan. This will help to preserve front-line ambulances for emergency calls. I highlight this because the National Ambulance Service is focused on addressing areas where there is a clear need for greater resourcing. A particular … continued development of the National Ambulance Service in the context of both capacity and strategic reform. Since 2020, we have increased the budget for the National Ambulance Service by 60%. We have increased the personnel by 30%. This year, as I informed Deputy Cullinane, we really are trying

helping businesses with the increased costs associated with running a business. The power up grant was announced as part of budget 2025 and paid out €158 million in grants to over 39,000 businesses. The increased cost of business scheme made €242 million in grant payments to over … power up funding to businesses that had been approved for the second ICOB grant. The extent of the issue of incorrect classifications only emerged after the power up grant was launched. Businesses that had not classified themselves as operating in the hospitality, retail or beauty sectors were ineligible

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

will depend on operational feasibility, postnatal home visits will transfer to early transfer home teams, a dedicated 24-helpline will redirect to the emergency line, and the domino antenatal classes will be removed. There are real concerns among a lot of women in Cork about the domino scheme … based on parliamentary questions submitted by Marie Sherlock, about shortages of lactation consultants. Five new lactation consultant roles remain empty because of HSE budget issues and eleven funded posts are not filled, accounting for 16% of the overall lactation consultants in the country. Then we heard the Minister

This represents significant growth of an additional 372 whole-time-equivalent staff working across the CDNTs. We are building on this progress. In budget 2025, more than €2.8 million in new development measure funding was secured to provide for additional whole-time equivalents in the teams. This includes … Government and Heritage, to develop our commitments on the development of the national disability strategy, the role of local authority decision-making has emerged as a consistent theme. As my Department leads on the finalisation phase of development, it will be critical that local government is involved

gaps in rural areas. A sum of €2.4 million will be provided to drug and alcohol task forces so they can respond to emerging drug trends and local priorities. I compliment the drug and alcohol task forces on the great work they do. Additional funding will expand … children and adults. I will have two strategies completed by the end of the year, one on breastfeeding and one on obesity. This budget represents a significant investment in prevention, public health and community well-being. It reflects our commitment to supporting children and young people, strengthening families

Mentorship is extremely important and we work with many companies in the US and the larger Irish companies that help us to mentor emerging Irish companies. However, strategically, the future has to be to increase the scaling up of Irish-owned companies for long-term competitiveness. Deputy Shay … more, if I am honest, on budgetary and fiscal policy, but we can only do so much in any one budget. Very often when we do things for entrepreneurship, they get attacked politically as looking after the wealthy or businesses and so on, whereas we are trying

children. In 2023, the establishment of a €5 million pilot programme of counselling and mental health supports for primary schools was announced. In budget 2025, the pilot received additional funding which has allowed it to continue into this year. It is broken up into two different strands. Strand … educational support for parents and teachers and the provision of early intervention on an individual and group basis to children with mild to emerging need using low-level therapeutically informed approaches. The schools received a payment of €2,000 to promote and support well-being-focused initiatives among

grow our overall Defence Forces capabilities. Of course, as is the case with any plan, it has to be matched by a capital budget. Deputies will be aware that just before Christmas I published our new capital plan, which sets out how we are going to spend … citizens and civilians in Ukraine but us as well. The new plan, actions and expansion we are focused on will respond to these emerging and changing threats

emergency homeless accommodation, including more than 5,000 children, the primary focus of this year’s programme is to help households exit emergency homeless accommodation into permanent housing. To this end, the largest share of funding available for drawdown, €150 million, is ring-fenced for acquisitions supporting households … authorities can draw on the significant rental funding available to them through their respective annual budgetary processes. Notably in Fingal County Council, successive budgets have facilitated an increased level of funding to housing maintenance, with an approximate 50% increase since 2020 alone. The 2026 budget includes an additional

House on agreed numbers. The post-budget analysis of the Parliamentary Budget Office, PBO, does not pull any punches. For this year's budget, it says "there is a noticeable absence of transparent, data-driven analysis to underpin fiscal decisions." It also states there is "now no separation … used to seeing Ireland as a two-tier country, but in my experience in recent times a three-tier Ireland is emerging. We are speaking about the Appropriation Bill, which in general terms is about spending and the allocation of resources. We need to be clear that

emergency homeless accommodation, including more than 5,000 children, the primary focus of this year's programme is to help households to exit emergency homeless accommodation into permanent housing. To this end, the largest share of funding available for draw-down, some €150 million, is ring-fenced … authorities can draw on the significant rental funding available to them through their respective annual budgetary processes. Notably, Clare County Council's adopted budget for 2025 suggests only 77% of its rental income would be invested in social housing management and maintenance. Local authorities may also draw

installed onshore renewable energy capacity, a major clean energy milestone on the path toward green energy efficiency and security. In addition to this, budget 2026 allocated record funding for home retrofitting, including fully funded upgrades to the warmer homes scheme for those in energy poverty. These investments generate … medium term, it safeguards overall fiscal sustainability. It is important to predict how external events will evolve and what new challenges will emerge into the future. The broader global environment remains incredibly uncertain. As a small, open economy, Ireland is particularly vulnerable. As such, the best approach

agree with the Deputy that we cannot have a situation where the farmer is held up as the bogey-man for the climate emergency. It is not fair and it is not true. We see really good progress being made in agriculture. Instead of lecturing farmers, we have … Presidency in the second half of this year and we need to make sure that is reflected in the priorities of the European budget

head when he established Fianna Fáil - to outdo the British occupiers in evicting people on this island? Sinn Féin again calls for an emergency ban on no-fault evictions and a freeze on rent hikes. These are the only measures that will protect the thousands who face eviction … chose to do nothing to end it, despite this being one of the wealthiest countries in Europe, with billions in surplus budgets

school meals, funding for DEIS plus to help our most vulnerable children, the national broadband plan rolled out ahead of time and on budget, surgical hubs, free HRT and the national education therapy service now established. I wanted to reference some of them to balance the ledger … more work that needs to be done. I say to everybody requiring a home and wanting to see progress on the housing emergency this Christmas and as we go into 2026 that this Government is putting an extraordinary level of public funding behind the delivery of housing

appointments, delayed treatments and worsening conditions. Ultimately, this leads to pressure being piled back on our hospitals through avoidable admissions to accident and emergency departments. In one case, a man waited four years - 48 months - for an appointment. He has no family. His neighbour who used to bring … with a view to restoring full service? How can faceless bureaucrats decide this? When I was elected to this House in 2007, the budget for the HSE was approximately €7 billion. Now, it is €24 billion and growing every year. How come it is affecting the most vulnerable

lowest incomes, those reliant on pensions or disability allowance would be €250 worse off this year as a result of the Minister's budget and the acceleration of energy prices. Those prices were already the highest electricity prices in Europe and that was before the onset … terminal. The Government must act now and introduce the Social Democrats' energy credit for 800,000 households most in need, implement the emergency payment for disabled people, tackle price gouging and, crucially, chart a new path for cheap, domestic, renewable energy to become the bedrock of our country

services, the largest increase in disability services for quite some time. We need more, and we need to do more. The special education budget is now over €3 billion. That has to manifest itself in additional classes, teachers, special needs assistants and therapies in our schools … systems and across all Government Departments. Once-off payments are no substitute for that. The once-off payments were introduced to deal with emergency situations arising out of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They are not fiscally sustainable in the long term

will understand how difficult it can be, having young teenagers and young adults as children. Approximately €110 million of the mental health budget this year is being provided to various community-based mental health organisations and NGOs, including Jigsaw. Jigsaw already receives more than €14 million from … changed the name. We know the café in Galway has reduced by 18% the number of people presenting to accident and emergency with mental health difficulties. I am fully committed to delivering this service for Waterford and I am happy to work with the Deputies

shape or form. The last time the Minister of State and I spoke in the House was in relation to emergency situations and circumstances. I have had a fair amount of correspondence regarding some of these cases and I do not want to go into specifics other than … issue of people coming under severe pressure when we talk about the fact that an insufficient amount has been done in the budget on electricity, fuel, and home heating oil. The bare minimum has been done. When we look at the disability payment, while we welcome its inclusion

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