Fiscal Policy
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-09
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Simon Harris (FG), Wicklow

I agree with Deputy Neville on the importance of continuing to run budget surpluses and invest in our Future Ireland Funds – the Future Ireland Fund and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund – and the importance of continuing to be prudent in our spending of public money. That is why the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Chambers, and I will bring to the Cabinet next week the medium-term fiscal framework, which will anchor our spending and tax plans not just for a year but also for the five years ahead. That is important for guarding our economy and for planning the delivery of public services that we get on with implementing the programme for Government.
I agree with Deputy Ó Cearúil on the use of technology, including AI. I am aware that the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Chambers, is very strong on this. He has introduced a plan on digital services and the use of digital technology in the public service. Of course, there have to be guardrails and all of that. AI is not going away, as has been said. It is actually a tool that can be used for good, subject to having a proper system of safeguards in place, including in the area of speeding up assessment times. Let us consider the progress we have been able to make using technology for passports. When we read Future Forty, as the Deputy has done, we see that the use of technology to increase productivity is a key component in addressing some of the challenges we will face in the time ahead and ensuring the costs of the delivery of public services will remain manageable.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:26+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-09