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critical. In 2025 the council budgeted €2.4 million to support older people and people with disabilities to remain safely in their homes yet the allocation fell far short of what was required. That forced the council to seek an emergency top-up payment of over

there are billions of euro in budget surpluses. The Government could afford to do this. It would be fiscally sustainable. The Government's decision is cruel and regressive. I will ask the Taoiseach again. Will the Government now introduce an emergency payment for disabled people? They are asking

into use. The purpose of making the budget day announcement, albeit with the lead-in time, was to make it clear to people in this country that if they are sitting on a derelict property or site in a housing emergency, we intend to tax that reality

help. When they do, we must ensure support is available. I very much welcome the additional €108 million for mental health services in budget 2027. This 7% increase is substantial, is much-needed investment and demonstrates the Government is committed to improving mental healthcare. It will support … accident and emergency departments, suicide crisis assessment nurses and Solace cafés is so important. These services always provide different routes to help. I regularly meet families in my constituency office and around County Louth who feel left behind. These things do not have a huge budget, but they

emerged this morning at the meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts that there had been a significant overspend on an IT system for SUSI grants, which has now cost almost three times the originally budgeted figure of €2.2 million. The Comptroller and Auditor General drew attention

recent times. Dereliction during a housing emergency is a particular challenge as something that should be almost socially unacceptable. We have an emergency. All of us recognise that. We have different views on how best to tackle it, but tackling dereliction needs to be an important part … they do a good job - to a consistent national tax collected by the Revenue Commissioners. The benefit of announcing the tax in the budget a couple of months ago was that we all want this tax to act effectively as something to change behaviour. We are not actually

reduced the number emergency department presentations. It has responded to over 1,000 incidents. There is evidence for this and the University of Limerick published a report last week. It has been extraordinarily successful. It needs a dedicated core budget. It has been transformative in normalising

state of emergency. Funding has stagnated and reform has stalled. What plans does the Minister of State and the Government have to address the mental health crisis in County Wexford? I know all about Waterford and the overall budget, but the money does not appear to be going

nearly 175,000 in gas arrears, while the moratorium on disconnections only covers the Christmas period; — there were 5,014 homeless children in emergency accommodation at the end of July, an increase of 14 per cent in a year; — the reduced funding available for the Tenant in-Situ … rolled out across primary schools, but remains unavailable to far too many children in schools not signed up to the scheme; recognises that: — budgets are about choices, and regrets that the Government intends to spend over €630 million a year to reduce Value Added Tax (VAT) on food

overseas development aid, ODA, budget significantly to try to offset some of the impact. We know that hundreds of thousands of lives are being put at risk. We must work closely with our EU neighbours to try to scale up an emergency fund that can have a truly

asked on behalf of disabled people who are crying out for this to put money back in their pockets via a winter emergency measure, with a one-off payment, and he just bats it away. He did not engage with it at all. These are the people that … made poorer, not just a little bit poorer, but a lot poorer. They are €1,400 worse off as a consequence of the budget. It cut the disability support grant, a loss of €400. It cut the living alone allowance, a cut of €200. It reduced the fuel

short time available to me, I want to call for the payments of an emergency winter energy credit of at least €500. Households, especially those with children, are under huge pressure from the cost-of-living crisis, which is pushing more and more families into poverty. There … recent budget. The measure of any society is how it treats its most vulnerable. Thousands of families will face the coming Christmas with difficulty and it is very worrisome. The least we can do is ease that worry by at least the payment of an emergency bonus this

transition plan, if recommended, over a 12 to 24-month period, to ensure uninterrupted service delivery; and — strengthen financial oversight mechanisms, including unified budgeting and improved reporting transparency to the Oireachtas; and — establish or reinforce an independent statutory inspectorate to ensure robust oversight under any revised governance model … available. In fact, emergency arrangements that were intended to be exceptional have instead become the norm and a recurrence within this failing system. That fact alone should cause all of us in this House to pause and reflect. Tusla now operates with a budget that exceeds €1 billion

hardest in the budget with €1,400 worth of cruel and targeted cuts. For months, despite all of the pleading, protest, argument and stories about people having to choose between heating and eating, the Government ignored their request for a €400 emergency payment so that they could

crony class at the expense of local communities and the taxpayers whom the Government has kicked in the teeth with today's budget. Housing is the biggest crisis facing all families across the State. The Government continually insists that housing is its number one priority but its actions … speak far louder than words. Its first action after feathering its nest was to raise rents. In the middle of a housing emergency, that is absolutely unforgivable. At times, I really wonder if it is actually trying to make this housing crisis worse. I have been an elected

because it is going to help people. Let us give praise when praise is due. The planning situation needs to be tackled. An emergency should be called because objections are holding up many planning permissions. I ask the Minister to look at that. I also … gave a budget for works throughout the country but not one red cent has been spent within those towns that need sewage schemes to help in providing water. I ask the Ministers to look at those few fundamental things. On top of that, an emergency should be called

average income losses from this budget. Where is the help for workers who struggle with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis in this budget? They got nothing or rather they got another increase in fuel costs, with the latest increase in the carbon tax. The Government could have … emergency health care in the mid-west region. Acknowledging the crisis with capacity we have faced for years in the mid-west region, it made three recommendations. One of these was the delivery of an additional model 3 hospital in the mid-west region. Yesterday's budget offered

maintaining and publishing national data on the distance from home of adults with an intellectual disability placed in residential or supported living settings; — emergency and out-of-area placements can become permanent by default, even where a person wishes to live closer to family, community and familiar supports … suitable community-based alternatives; further notes that: — Inclusion Ireland, and other disability organisations, have emphasised the importance of Article 19, personal assistance, personalised budgets, person-centred respite and short breaks, therapeutic supports and a continuum of community-based supports; — disabled people, families and representative organisations have

budget has been increased to €8.8 million to help to develop and sustain Irish artists' international careers. In 2026, Culture Ireland will continue to increase funding for its showcase activity across the world as an impactful way for international presenters to be introduced to emerging Irish artists … supporting the transformation of the digital economy. The roll-out of the national broadband plan will be ahead of schedule and within budget. I am pleased to have allocated €433 million for the plan for next year. Over 420,000 premises are forecast to be passed

representing an increase in the initial allocation of over €1 million in 2025. Following our announcement of a supplementary budget of €14 million in August last year, Kerry received additional funding of over €1.2 million in 2025. The total Kerry allocation for 2025 represents a 44% increase … initial 2026 programme to proceed. We are closely monitoring our spend in the capital area across the Department to ensure any savings that emerge in the Department can be redistributed to LIS. I am very much aware of the challenge in Kerry regarding outstanding roads. Some 37 roads

commitments outside of the budget cycle, but if the whole of this issue was looked at in the round as the Deputy suggested as part of the future of Cork report, I would be willing to engage enthusiastically on any findings that might emerge from that

regressive and shameful. The budget "locks disabled people and their families into another cycle of exclusion". Those are not my words; they are the words of the Disability Federation of Ireland. Will the Tánaiste listen to disabled people? Will the Government introduce an emergency winter payment, which

lists, some for years, without clarity about what supports they need. Today, this Government must declare this backlog a national emergency, allocate immediate emergency funding, launch a tangible plan to hire specialist assessors and therapists within weeks, and monitor and report progress publicly every month until every child … outside Leinster House today. Someone from my community, Sarah Attridge, travelled nearly five hours to get to the gates here today, protesting that budget 2026 has left disabled people up to €1,400 worse off. This is not just a number but a heating versus eating crisis. People

apprenticeship budget. This pressure is primarily linked to the cost of State allowances paid to apprentices during their off-the-job training phases. Like the Deputies opposite, I have heard about this both officially and on the grapevine. It is an issue that has emerged very recently … million in 2025. There has been more than a doubling of funding. This includes a record €77 million investment as part of budget 2025, the largest ever allocation to the apprenticeship system in the history of the State

emergency response, and it has not been treated as an urgent case. The Tánaiste made the point that the staffing levels are not up at the national average of 8.9 but I ask that Offaly is prioritised in the upcoming budget in terms of staffing in Offaly CAMHS