We did take very significant measures in the budget to support families, particularly working families and families on low incomes. The Deputy has failed to acknowledge that in all her commentary. The child support payment had a permanent increase of over €16 for those over 12 and a permanent increase of €8 for children under 12. The extension of the fuel allowance to the working family payment means 26% of all households are now entitled to a fuel allowance. We have already brought in the free schoolbooks scheme and free hot school meals, all of which are significant factors in reducing pressures on families. We acknowledge that food prices are going up and that is significant. Energy remains an issue and we are engaging with the companies. There is a regulator there as well to make sure that price gouging does not happen and that competition applies. I saw Sinn Féin's budget proposals. They would have added 2% to the cost of living.
Sentiment score: 0.29
That is a fact. That is from the Central Bank-----
Sentiment score: 0.00
By any objective yardstick, one would have to acknowledge that the last five years has seen extraordinary, exponential growth in the provision of social housing in this country compared with any decade going back to the seventies. A total of 50,684 social homes have been added to the social housing stock between July 2020 and quarter 2 of 2025, more than 13,700 homes were brought back into use under the voids programme, and 2023 and 2024 saw the delivery of newly built social housing reach levels not seen since the 1970s, with almost 16,000 social homes built over the two years. There has been very significant progress on the social housing front, which will continue with increased allocations in this budget for social housing and, indeed, for affordable housing. From the launch of Housing for All, nearly 16,900 affordable housing supports have been given.
Sentiment score: 0.38
The Minister for Social Protection is examining the proposal and will work with a range of groups and organisations in respect of it. The free travel scheme, more generally, has expanded very significantly since its conception and has very wide coverage. The Government is not opposed to this but the Government wants to work through the implications.
Sentiment score: 0.33
From an overall perspective, the allocation and commitment in terms of the defective blocks scheme is unprecedented in scale and cost to the State in respect of that. My understanding is there is further legislation on the way in respect of defective apartments, so I will talk to the Minister again in respect of the issue that the Deputy has raised.
Sentiment score: 0.37
The recent budget did provide significant supports for quite a number of sectors in the agricultural industry. Obviously, there are still concerns in relation to tillage and I will take on board what the Deputy has said in respect of the pig industry, although I was in north Cork recently and met with a number of people and it was not quite raised with me on that occasion. Certainly, I will ask the Minister for agriculture to engage with the Deputy on that.
Sentiment score: 0.57
I thank the Deputy very much for raising what is an important issue, particularly in terms of smaller schools and smaller denominational schools of particular churches. The late Martin Mansergh was actually very attentive to the needs of smaller schools in rural Ireland and the Border areas, in particular those that were Protestant or Presbyterian, and where the numbers were low in terms of refurbishments. We had a big impact at the time. I will talk to the Minister for education and the Minister of State with responsibility for special education, Deputy Michael Moynihan, in respect of this issue. What the Deputy is saying is that the existing class thresholds are too high. I think there is an issue there, whether we can come to some resolution or not, I will certainly talk to the Ministers to discuss that. In terms of the specific school the Deputy identified, I will certainly go through that with the Minister.
Sentiment score: 0.15
Absolutely. I agree that we should be constantly creating a heightened level of awareness in terms of online fraud and in fairness, An Garda Síochána is doing that. Just last week I heard on a morning radio programme about the impact of online fraud. There is advertising highlighting the dangers and what to watch out for and so forth. It is a very serious issue which is impacting on a lot of people. It is a type of robbery without violence in one sense, compared to the old fashioned type of robberies, but it is more lethal in terms of its impact on people's well-being, welfare and income levels.
Sentiment score: -0.16
There are various regulatory frameworks governing food products, both on the price side but also in terms of standards. We have a regulator to protect the consumer. These issues should be raised, first and foremost, with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, because there are issues that need to be monitored on a constant basis in terms of shrinking the volume of a particular pack or whatever.
Sentiment score: 0.13
I know.
Sentiment score: 0.00
There has been fairly significant expansion in the rural transport programme from 2022 to 2025. Some €84 million has been invested in the rural transport programme, and €116 million has been allocated to regular rural services and almost €40 million has been allocated to new services, including Connecting Ireland, new town services and BusConnects. In Carlow, Kilkenny and Wicklow, funding increased by 46% between 2023 and 2024 to more than €3.5 million. The passenger numbers on these routes in counties Carlow, Kilkenny and Wicklow increased by 61% from 2023 to 2024. I will talk to the Minister in respect of the issue the Deputy raised. Obviously, all Ministers have to operate within the budgets allocated to them.
Sentiment score: 0.20
I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very important issue for many people. Ensuring that the enduring power of attorney application process is a user-centric and accessible one is a priority for the Department and the Decision Support Service. The Minister has informed me that there is ongoing engagement between the Decision Support Service and the Law Society to ensure the smooth running of the service. This is the beginning of a series of engagements between both parties underlining our commitment set out in the programme for Government to introduce a solicitors' portal. The Government is committed to doing that. The Deputy's issue is when and how fast it can happen. The Department is also considering the operational period of the Decision Support Service and the uptake of the new system of supported decision-making in that regard to assemble an evidence base for the next steps. I will talk to the Minister with a view to trying to get progress accelerated on this. I like the Deputy's idea of kiosks in libraries and community settings. That is a very good idea. That would create an accessible, user-friendly system.
Sentiment score: 0.46
That money would have to be replaced from somewhere.
Sentiment score: 0.00
Yes, it is funny money; it is magical tree money.
Sentiment score: 0.68
Services can be seen. I have seen the correlation between proper application and ringfencing of local property tax revenue to services.
Sentiment score: 0.00
If you have a proactive council and public representatives, people will see the benefits of it. We are constantly being told that we need a broad revenue base to sustain public services. For example, this budget expanded public services very significantly, over and above what was a high base over the past number of years.
Sentiment score: 0.25
There are challenges in certain areas but the bottom line is that for well over two decades now it has been advocated that we need a broader base in terms of raising tax.
Sentiment score: 0.52
It is the intention of the Minister to give legislative authority to the national review panel and to amend legislation. I understand a Bill is on the way that will enable the Minister to do that, but I will get the specifics for the Deputy in respect of that in the next day or two.
Sentiment score: 0.35
There are two aspects here. First of all, there is the interim works. I did see some progress on those when I attended - I think it was earlier this year - Midleton where there were embankments and, on the main street, protective gates were put in. My understanding is that the council has had procurement issues in terms of some of the materials that are required for the interim works. In terms of the flood relief scheme more generally, that is going through a process. I wish it could be speeded up as quickly as possible. My understanding is that work has been completed or under way to protect 80% of at-risk properties through a €1.3 billion investment by Government for flood relief measures more generally. The Midleton flood relief scheme is a complicated scheme. The Deputy must be aware-----
Sentiment score: 0.27
The Deputy is as aware of these issues as I am.
Sentiment score: 0.00
In terms of the council, some people are now saying that the council should not have got the job to do the interim work but I think the council is probably best placed to do interim works in terms of any given department.
Sentiment score: 0.78
I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very important issue. I agree with her. I think there should be a basic protocol between the local authorities so that when a person who is a victim of domestic violence and her family move from one council area to another, they should take their record in terms of length of time with them.
Sentiment score: 0.06
I will. I will pursue it.
Sentiment score: 0.00