Search the record

Minister claimed that because of an expanded population we require additional Ministers of State. We had that debate yesterday. He is right that public sector employment levels will grow to a record high this year and that is to be welcomed. There is a degree of misalignment between … Irish Times a couple of days ago. The Minister may have seen the piece published yesterday, where it was estimated there would be 415,000 civil and public servants by the end of this year. He said his figures are that it will be in excess

maintenance of industrial peace in the public service. The second principal function of the Bill is to provide a legal basis for expenditure to continue into next year in the period before the Dáil votes on the 2026 Estimates. As set out in the Central Fund (Permanent Provisions … continue in the period between the beginning of January 2026 and when the Dáil approves the 2026 Estimates. This will ensure the continued funding for the delivery of front-line public services, including our health and education services, social protection payments, funding for An Garda Síochána and much

housing. The State is the main player in house building at the moment. The Department of Finance estimates that we need to spend about €20 billion per annum, between public and private sector investment, to get to that figure of 50,000 houses that the ESRI says

Deputy for the proposed amendment. The issue of reducing private income in public hospitals is one on which he and I agree. Indeed, we discussed it during the recent debate on the Estimates at the Oireachtas select committee. It is particularly pertinent given that this is the year … have reached a critical mass of consultants on the public-only consultant contract and this is the year we expect to see it in our figures. We had a good discussion about that in the context of the Estimates. I do not expect this to be a recurring

those teeth but the child cannot have dentures. This is very regrettable. The school dental scheme has to be the foundation of a public dental scheme. We have to catch people when they are young. When this fails, as it is clearly failing in Laois, the whole system … provides workers and families with a cleaning and an examination. It does not cover treatment. The Irish Dental Association estimates that we need at least 500 additional public dentists immediately because, as has been outlined here, we actually have fewer public dentists now than we had five years

establishing a dedicated State body governance unit within the Department. Transparency regarding departmental use of funds is ensured via publication of the annual budget books, the annual Revised Estimate and the annual appropriation account, as audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General. Each of these bodies under … which are subject to audit and laid before both Houses. The Department and the bodies under its aegis, where relevant, appear before the public accounts committee and both Joint and Select Committees on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport. My Department continues to advance work to improve oversight

highlighted some of these issues as well. Of course, these will have to form part of the annual Estimates process through engagement with the Department of public expenditure. In this context, law enforcement agencies, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland and the Companies Registration Office may also

Select Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs has completed its consideration of the following Supplementary Estimates of the areas within its remit for Public Services for the service of the year ending on 31 December 2026: Vote 30 - Fisheries and Maritime Affairs

Film Board. The limit will be increased from €500 million to €840 million. As is the case with some statutory bodies that receive public funding, a limit was set by statute on such outlays in the Irish Film Board Act 1980. This limit must be reviewed … limit on advances is an enabling provision. Funding of Screen Ireland is, of course, subject to the normal Estimates procedures as set out by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. The proposed legislation will not, therefore, mean any additional cost to the Exchequer

compared on a like-for-like basis. The information is no longer available in the format used in recent years as the budget estimates for 2026 have been constructed in a different way to previous years' budgets. This was undertaken to better reflect the totality of expenditure, where … This compares them against the profiles set out by Departments and against the previous year. The public service performance report details how Departments performed against targets set in the Revised Estimates process. I have more

equitable approach that offers flexibility, real choice and options to affected homeowners. The National Standards Authority of Ireland, with the aid of comprehensive public consultation, which closed in July this year, is in the process of finalising its review of IS 465:2018, the national standard that underpins … Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, recently confirmed he has been informed by his officials that an estimation of finalisation of the review of comments, and subsequent publication of the revised national standard, will be provided shortly. He has requested that the NSAI publish this update

take into account the extra money people are paying in network charges. This report by Dr. Seán Fearon estimates that, in total, between 2015 and 2023, the public paid €715 million extra because of the Government's policy of prioritising data centres. That is just what happened

heretofore but, second, there has to be a balance between attracting private sector investment in addition to the enormous public sector investment in housing. The Department of Finance estimates that to get to 50,000 houses a year, we need about €20 billion in the economy allocated

have had dealings with him in the past when I served as Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach. He presented his Estimates and every time he came in I reminded him of Carlow, Kilkenny and the schemes that were waiting

budget submission to the Department of Transport, taking account of competing funding demands and wider public transport priorities. They remain subject to the outcome of the annual Estimates process and, if approved, will represent the biggest year-on-year enhancement of services in many measures

Government has pursued a focus on immigration, part of the reasoning for that has been, in my estimation, that we must have a fair, firm system the public believes in. There is a narrative against our immigration system that suggests we have an open-door policy and that

after 1 October. I presume the Minister of State does have those figures but is not making them publicly available. That raises very significant concerns. Based on my estimation, we are talking about hundreds of children without an offer and thousands of children in inappropriate school placements - nearly

national cybersecurity agency had a budget of €5 million. In contrast, the Department of the Taoiseach had a public relations budget of €15 million. What is the total estimated cost of the cyberattack to this State

establishing a strategic housing activation office. This new office will report directly to me. It will focus on enabling infrastructure to support public and private housing development and providing solutions to infrastructure blockages. In this regard, the commitment draws on the commission's recommendation for a housing delivery … construction steering group is also focusing on areas such as regulation, public procurement, research and public awareness to increase the use of timber in construction. Modelling by the Department of Finance estimates that delivering 50,000 homes on average per year to 2030 will require some €20 billion

move: Tuesday's business shall be: - Motion re Statement of Estimates for the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (without debate) - Motion re Sittings and Business of the Dáil (without debate) - Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (to conclude at the end of the first speaking … Second Stage of the Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation Bill 2026 with consequential effect on the commencement times for the items following in the ordinary routine of business; 2. the proceedings on the Motion re Statement of Estimates for the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission shall be taken

State in damages and losses avoided estimated to be in the region of €2 billion. Through the national catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, programme, the largest study of flood risk was completed by the Office of Public Works in 2018. This studied the flood risk from … scheme consultants have identified an emerging preferred option, which is expected to be presented to the public before the end of this year. Submission of the scheme to planning is currently estimated for quarter 3 of 2027. The Deputy is correct in that it is estimated that construction

lack of capacity in the childcare sector. In our pre-budget submission, the Green Party estimated that €30 million in 2026 would allow the State to fund 50 new public childcare services, offering a total of 3,000 spaces in geographic areas where there is currently underprovision. While

second is a dedicated, adequately funded, multi-annual programme for the shared costs of concentric cabling, which is estimated at €700 million across all local authorities for 75,000 public lights. The third is a meaningful increase in the budget from the Department of Transport for our regional

successful implementation of ICT projects under their remit. There is support for the Public Appointments Service and for digital and ICT initiatives of significant scale, risk or strategic importance, including all projects with an estimated lifetime cost exceeding €5 million. The OGCIO operates a formal peer review process

assumptions. All of this is based on a set of assumptions and there is a whole variety of those assumptions. Which public spending obligations will transfer to the new Ireland? How would the tax code be applied? How might Northern Ireland's economy develop over the long term … there. Either figure would clearly have a material impact on the public finances affecting not only the headline budget position but also the underlying fiscal balance. This illustrates why the range of estimates matters. They are not simply academic differences. Each figure would have a significant implication

Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the breakdown of the estimated 30,000 additional recipients across the pension, illness, disability and carers schemes respectively, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65199/25

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to provide the Abridged Estimates Volume for Budget 2026 for Vote 15 including the provisional sub head and programme level allocations. [59537/25

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to provide the Abridged Estimates Volume for Budget 2026 for Vote 13 including the provisional sub head and programme level allocations. [59538/25

Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to provide the Abridged Estimates Volume for Budget 2026 for Vote 11, including the provisional sub head and programme level allocations. [57194/25

Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if his Department has estimated the administrative or financial cost of collapsed or re-run procurement competitions; and if any analysis has been undertaken on the reasons for such failures and how they

Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated net additional cost of providing two rounds of publicly funded IVF. [28688/25

Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to estimate the cost of installing solar panels on building owned by OPW where there is an excess of 80 car park spaces. [28149/25

Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the estimated full-year costs to recruit two additional Fire Safety Engineer Grade 1 for the OPW. [25862/25

Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the estimated financial gap in annual pension income for fast accrual pension scheme members between the age of 55 and the State pension age; the Department’s response to concerns that this

Garda station estate nationwide; the number of stations classified as requiring refurbishment, upgrade, or replacement; the estimated capital cost of addressing identified deficiencies; the role of the Office of Public Works in maintaining Garda stations; and the timeline for delivery of any capital investment programme for Garda infrastructure

Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the latest estimate of the total loss of private income received by public hospitals in 2026; the forecast for 2027; and the funding provided in Budget 2027 to reduce the impact. [74476/26

Science if supplementary funding will be provided in 2026 to address recognised legacy shortfalls in funding for public sector pay awards in the higher education sector; the estimated value of any such outstanding shortfall; and the measures planned to address these costs on a recurring basis through core

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport the estimated full-year cost of abolishing fares on all public transportation services and publicly contracted commercial services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51341/26

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost to the State of training students in key public service professions such as nursing and teaching; and whether his Department has examined graduate emigration patterns in these sectors. [50258/26

Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he will provide an estimate of the average occupancy rate of OPW managed office space both inside and outside Dublin or confirm that no such estimate has been made in recent years

Education and Youth if her Department has undertaken a cost analysis of providing school secretaries and caretakers with public sector pay and conditions; if so, to detail the estimated cost; whether she considers that the social cost of not granting pay parity is greater in the long term

Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Transport the estimated cost of acquiring an electric bus to operate on public transport. [26886/25

Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health if she will consider including the shingles vaccine in publicly funded vaccination programmes or under the drug payment scheme; the estimated cost of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51287/26

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of abolishing emergency department charges for public patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51329/26

considered implementing a scheme for solar PV on car parks in Ireland similar to France (details supplied); the estimated cap ex and op ex cost to apply this to public buildings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48739/26

Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the date on which a Supplementary Estimate or Supplementary Estimates were sought in respect of his Department’s Vote for each of the past ten years, and to the date

Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the number of projects overseen by the Office of Public Works for which the outturn was greater than the initial estimated cost; the total estimated costs of such projects; and the total outturn for the years 2023, 2024, 2025. [28017/25

Health the total cost to the Exchequer of training the recent cohort of physician associate graduates, estimated at €560,000; and the measures being taken to ensure this public investment is not lost due to delays in recruitment. [44513/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the estimated annual additional Exchequer cost associated with the introduction of the public-only consultant contract since 2023; the budget provided for this purpose in each year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43617/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost to the HSE of providing non-medical circumcision in public hospitals in each of the past five years, including consultant time, theatre use, anaesthesia, and post-operative care. [65351/25