Where is he going?

Did he not get enough training from Ivan Yates to debate people this evening?

It is welcome to hear the Aire Stáit's passion and interest in this area. I have something in common with him, in that I spent a lot of time having discussions with my poor dad. He did not agree with me on anything. Perhaps if we had done an exchange at that stage, there might have been more in common. I welcome the leadership that my colleague Aidan Farrelly has shown on raising this issue. I also welcome the young people in the Public Gallery. I especially want to welcome the young people from the National Youth …

I want to raise the issue of the redress scheme for the survivors of the fire at the Stardust. It has been more than 44 years since the devastating fire at the Stardust when 48 young people never came home. The State apology and the redress scheme for the families who lost loved ones are very welcome. However, there is growing frustration that the redress scheme for survivors is not yet up and running. Survivors have endured lifelong trauma, as the Taoiseach knows. Many are living with very serious health condition…

The Government has said time and again that there should be an appropriate school place for every child. I am contacted constantly by parents who are desperately trying to get a place for their child in an autism class. The same as any other parent, they just want their child to be able to thrive. Stapolin Educate Together National School in Baldoyle has asked to open two additional new autism classes. The school has the space for the modular units required. It also has experienced staff who can support the opening…

Ireland should be a country where every child is safe going to bed at night. The attack on the home of the women and children in Drogheda at the weekend shocked the nation. People are asking how has it come to this, and how could anyone try to burn and kill children while they sleep. It is vitally important that all of us show leadership. Words matter. The Tánaiste's words matter. Where misinformation is spread, we must challenge it. Where there are attempts to sow hate and division, we must build cohesion. Leaders…

We need these workers to keep our public services running, to ensure our elderly are cared for, to keep businesses open and to keep tax revenues flowing. Has the Tánaiste thought this through? Which sectors of the economy will he be targeting for reductions in migrant workers?

We do need to look at the facts, and the Tánaiste knows them well. The Government published a report this week saying that to meet housing demand alone, we need at least 50,000 additional construction workers. The Tánaiste also knows the facts about our ageing population. Again, the report pointed to the situation that we will soon have a reduction in the numbers in our workforce who will be able to support people who are retired, to pay for pensions and to care for our elderly. The Tánaiste knows these facts. Unle…

Answer the question.

Where in the economy can we do with fewer people?

We need more people to build homes.

I ask the Minister about the spending reviews carried out this year that were not published, as had been the practice in previous years. Why were no spending reviews published in the run-up to the budget? How many spending reviews were carried out this year that were not published? Why has the practice of publishing these reviews been abandoned? Does the Minister agree the public has a right to know what is in these reviews? Will he publish all spending reviews that have been carried out? When will he publish them?

Go raibh maith agat, a Aire, but let us focus on spending reviews and 2025, and not all the other things that have happened. The Government has a track record of wasting public money. We need look no further than the bike shed for an example of that. In previous years, spending reviews were published in the run-up to the budget. That did not happen this year. Why not? Why is the Minister suppressing these reports? At the budgetary oversight committee, we were told by the Parliamentary Budget Office that about 50 sp…

How many spending reviews were carried out in 2025 that have not been published? That is the nub of my question. That is what I want to know. We have been told at the budgetary oversight committee that in the region of 50 spending reviews across Departments - a very significant body of work - have not been published. Can the Minister tell us how many spending reviews have been carried out this year, how many remain unpublished and when will he publish these spending reviews? They can provide invaluable insight and …

I am asking the Minister about the spending reviews he has not published.

Will the Minister publish the spending reviews that he has not published?

The Parliamentary Budget Office.

I thank Deputy Heneghan for his contribution. I also want to acknowledge that the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, visited the school - Stapolin Educate Together National School - a few months ago. The Government has said time and again that every child that needs an appropriate school place should have one. Stapolin Educate Together National School has asked to open two additional autism classes. There is huge demand for places in autism classes and here we have a school that is offering to open two more classe…

I want to read from correspondence from the school principal. She says: Our autism classes are now in their third year, and in that short time, we've gained extensive experience in setting them up and supporting our pupils to thrive. The success of our model has been widely recognised with teachers and SNAs from other schools regularly visiting us to observe and learn from our approach. We have developed a reputation as a well-run and highly effective setting, something we are deeply proud of. We should all be prou…

Budgets are about choices, and the cruel decisions this Government has made are all over this Finance Bill. The Government had the chance to stand with struggling families, renters, carers and disabled people, but it chose instead to stand with the golden circle - developers and fast-food chains. Once again, the people who already have the most are walking away with the biggest gains while ordinary people are left behind. The Government could have sided with the people who go to bed at night worrying about the next…