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time. The Government has no plan to end the housing crisis because it simply does not see it as an emergency. In last week's budget, it had an opportunity to provide enough funding to our local authorities to build social and affordable housing to meet the needs

Department. Astonishingly, neither the Minister for Finance nor the Minister for public expenditure and reform even referenced homelessness yesterday. The budget book simply references an increase for emergency accommodation, hardly a sign of success. Will the Minister outline the actions he intends to take in the coming weeks

announcing the last budget and last January when I asked that it give disabled people a modest emergency payment after it gutted their incomes in the budget. There has been a cost-of-living crisis ongoing for months and years before the illegal war on Iran

budget was where it has been for a long time, namely, with the Government, developers and big business. They emerged as the big winners from yesterday's budget. The VAT cut for developers that was voted in last night, a measure the Government said was to boost supply

lacking, and that is housing. The urgency in relation to this crisis is nowhere to be seen in this housing budget. We are in a housing emergency, a crisis that is reshaping how an entire generation lives. Young people remain in childhood bedrooms because they cannot afford

capital funding to make our hospitals safe, to drive on the elective hospitals and to guarantee a second emergency department in the mid west. However, this budget again falls way short in relation to all of that. Níl meas madaidh ag an Rialtas seo don phobal teanga

Mental Health Commission’s thematic report on mental health and our emergency departments. The Government welcomed the report, and I again thank the commission for its work. The measures I have funded in budget 2026 directly address the issues raised. They follow detailed discussions with executive clinical directors … expand them to all model 3 hospitals in future budgets, starting with next year's budget. A crucial part of this model is ensuring dedicated mental health assessment rooms in emergency departments, and Deputies have spoken to that tonight. While most hospitals have such a space, an audit

annum. Their ask is that they need, at the very least, an emergency winter payment now. The Minister is claiming he has responded to that with the original budget, which is where the cuts were made in the first place. Disabled people are responding to the budget … arrears on their utility bills. It is a very simple ask for an emergency payment now. Disabled people cannot wait for this process. They cannot wait for the next budget

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

sight in those communities. New front-line gardaí help the whole Garda organisation by facilitating moves to specialist areas dealing with new and emerging types of crimes, such as cybercrime and cyber fraud, and to areas like community policing. The latter is something Members of the House understand … million in 2022, increasing to €3 million in 2023, to €3.75 million in budget 2024 and to €4 million in budget 2025. We can see some themes emerging. Last year's successful applicants included projects aiming at addressing antisocial behaviour, domestic violence, drug-related intimidation, safety on public

that were crying out to the Government not to make them poorer, as the Government has just done through the budget, and crying out for a winter emergency payment? It points to the utter failure of the State to vindicate the rights of children with additional needs

will mention that in my own area, the Department of Health, I have also secured some funding in the budget for healthcare initiatives for people in emergency accommodation, having worked with the Minister on this issue. We also need to look at services for the vulnerable. This

support smaller research and development projects. Building on the action plans on competitiveness and productivity and market diversification, this budget will also deliver on tax simplification for businesses. We will see an expansion in supports for the visual effects and digital games sectors. These are two important sectors … react with a multifaceted response and with all arms and agencies of the State acting on an emergency basis. That is what we see in the budget, with a massive capital investment in housing, water and energy to enable the provision of the infrastructure we need. The Minister

area of affordable housing delivery? It has not met its own affordable housing targets. We have a significant budget surplus available. What is the Government doing as an emergency response to allocate additional public capital money to not-for-profit housing bodies to deliver affordable housing that

almost €15,000 a year when indexed link to inflation, yet instead of easing that burden, budget 2026 cut disabled people's incomes by an estimated €1,400. The €400 emergency winter payment being called for today would provide some immediate relief to those who need it most … would cost €124 million, which is half the amount of money wasted on the budget giveaway to developers for apartments that are already built. It is unfortunate that we need to deliver this emergency assistance that disabled people urgently deserve now. I urge the Government to allocate this

timely intervention can save lives. That is why the cornerstone of this year's budget is a robust investment in crisis services. We will fund specialist nursing teams in all model 4 hospital emergency departments to provide out-of-hours support for those in crisis. In the community … hired as quickly as possible. There is a geographical element to my budget, which is important. For the first time ever, having clinical nurse specialists and advanced nurse practitioners in the level 4 emergency department out of hours will make a significant difference to people who present

terms of the highest cost of electricity, and people are pinned to their absolute collar, there has to be an emergency debate and discussion for a mini-budget this week. We cannot agree to the Order of Business on those grounds

fund the Cara fund immediately to clear the backlog now rather than in six months or by the next budget; second, to set without delay a national emergency of real public targets to comply and complete within the six-month timeframe the legislation requires; third, to deliver

should happen. It is incumbent on every regional executive officer to plan strategically for their recruitment for the following year. They got a budget uplift of 6% last year and 6% this year, higher than other parts of the Government, and they have an obligation to plan every … health system, including when accounting for complexity. The most expensive part of healthcare are inpatient day cases, not emergency departments. Activity there has increased by only 2%, notwithstanding a budget increase of 6%. We plan based on demographics; that is what we do. We plan to grow based

priced out of the housing market, both for renting and for purchase. In next week's budget, the Government must make a meaningful dent in the national response to the housing emergency. We must see a real plan to increase the supply of housing. Our concern is that

just want to put that on record. With regard to the budget, I cannot believe that we have utterly failed to learn from the pandemic and the declaration of the climate and biodiversity emergency in 2019. Over the years, the Government has acknowledged the planet is burning … vain in the two speeches to see whether there was a recognition of not alone the emergencies we have declared, but the necessary transformative action. While I do not expect any budget to sort out those crises, I expect a budget to be put in the context

drive the ambition of the Lisbon declaration. Critical to supporting households to exit homelessness is our continued investment in the social housing programme. 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 … this year. Ensuring that families and children experiencing homelessness are provided with accommodation and supports is critical. Budget 2026 provides an allocation of €513.5 million to provide homeless emergency accommodation and supports. Capital funding of €50 million has been allocated to support the provision and maintenance of quality

more reliant than ever on their families and their independence is being eroded. In our alternative budget, the Social Democrats proposed an extra €15 per week in disability allowance, an emergency €400 winter cost-of-disability payment, and a permanent cost-of-disability support payment. In the Government

disability payment. Obviously, a big political issue over the past six months was the cut in the budget of €1,400-plus for disabled people and the call for emergency cost-of-living disability payments. In response, the Government stated that it is working on a cost

because we have really good teams in place in emergency departments but we always have that issue out of hours, which can be very difficult. I will continue to expand the model 3 hospitals in next year’s budget. As a result of not being able to fund … lived experience. It is an alternative to having to present to the emergency department, which is really important. I am very familiar with the SCANs and have built the scheme incrementally in all six budgets since coming into my role. I recently visited Donegal where we have