Will the Minister explain why the Government has chosen to impose expenditure levies on Departments given that the State is currently running a surplus of more than €9 billion? The State has run surplus budgets for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, all while the top 10% hold nearly 50% of total net wealth in this country and the number of super rich has doubled in the past five years. Successive Governments did not apply this approach to the Department of Health, despite repeated overruns and Supplementary Estimates year after year. Yet, now Departments such as the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science are being required to absorb levies and make reductions, including the pay and pensions levies. Can the Minister explain the rationale for imposing cuts when the Exchequer has the resources available? As a Cabinet Minister who has been in many Government Departments, can she confirm whether all Departments are being treated equally under this approach or whether some Departments are receiving exemptions that others are not?

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