I thank the Deputy. I also thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for tabling the question and her engagement over recent days about the Fastway workers. All of our thoughts are with the workers affected by this receivership. It is very concerning for all of them and I assure Deputy Guirke that my Department's priority is to support all the workers who are affected and ensure they receive their statutory entitlements and appropriate income supports in a timely manner. When a company enters receivership, employees are typically …

I am listening to concerns directly through the Deputy, Deputy Conway-Walsh and many other Deputies. I have met workers myself in my own constituency. That is why we have put the processes in place that have ensured 45 urgent needs payments have been made and 56 jobseeker's claims have been awarded. The offices are available to the Deputy to process any specific claims he has. I absolutely agree with him about the pressure this is putting on employees and franchise holders. I want to ensure that the supports we can…

I thank both Deputies. As I said in relation to the franchisees, the self-employed and the employees of contractors of Fastway, they can apply for jobseekers' payment immediately. We have processed and awarded 56 claims already in relation to that group of people. The work my Department team is doing at the moment is working with receivers, getting records of who is an employee and who is not and who is a franchisee, and getting that level of detail. That has been under way since the company entered into receiversh…

I thank Deputy McCormack, and Deputy Brennan for tabling this question. The implementation of My Future Fund from 1 January 2026 will fulfil a key programme for Government commitment to ensure that more than 750,000 workers are brought into a retirement savings scheme for the first time, giving those workers more security in their retirement. There has been extensive engagement with employers and representative organisations from the very outset, including during the early design phase of My Future Fund. The phasin…

I thank Deputies McCormack and Butterly for their questions. It is our intention to keep it simple. That is coming from the feedback that was under way for seven years now. We have started a strawman consultation. Employers have asked us to keep it simple and to keep the administration costs as minimal as possible. Most importantly for the approximately 750,000 people, they will have access to their money because for each person in My Future Fund, it is their money and not the State's money. They will see the top u…

We have already provided debate opportunities in the House. We have provided guidance in the audiovisual room. We are providing more technical guidance for Deputies and Senators in relation to auto-enrolment so that they can provide information in their constituencies. I would direct every Deputy to gov.ie/auto-enrolment where there are videos and supports in place for all organisations to give people an idea of what is coming and the kind of work that will be involved. It is my intention that work will be minimise…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." As colleagues know, Standing Order 174A provides that pre-legislative scrutiny is not required for a social welfare Bill which gives effect to budget measures. This Bill provides the legislative basis for the key social welfare budget measures. It also provides for some technical amendments to the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Act in advance of the system going live in January, a few short weeks away. Looking first at the social welfare budget measu…

Gabhaim buíochas le gach Teachta as a gcuid óráidí anocht. Bhí turas suimiúil againn. Ní coimirce sóisialaí amháin a phléamar. Bhí muid ag caint faoi dhroichid, faoi bheithígh agus faoi gach rud. Gabhaim buíochas le gach Teachta a chur suim sa díospóireacht agus a thug am don ábhar tábhachtach seo. Tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach a rá go bhfuil €28.9 billiún le caitheamh ar chúrsaí coimirce sóisialaí sa chéad bliain eile. We will be spending €28.9 billion in the Department of Social Protection in 2026, which includ…

We are having that impact. We are also looking at a pay-related approach in a number of other areas. The increases in PRSI that are contained in the PRSI roadmap are to address the future sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund, as well as pay-related benefit schemes. I remind the House that we are paying up to €450 per week to recipients under this scheme, which is €200 more than jobseekers' payments. I recognise that many Deputies raised the cost of disability. We are committed in the programme for Government…

It is a year. If it were a month, that would be gross earnings of €20,000 to €80,000 a month, so I presume he is talking about annual contributions. That €300 becomes €700 for the participant after the employer and the State contribution. That is put aside for their future. Deputy Stanley spoke of the exclusion of people earning under €20,000 from AE and the exclusion of part-time workers. It is possible for those workers to opt in. The reason they were not being automatically enrolled is affordability. If they hav…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development, pursuant to Standing Orders 103 and 188.

Gabhaim buíochas leis na Seanadóirí. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Seanadóir Stephenson as an mBille seo. Nílimid i gcoinne an Bhille. Táim an-soiléir faoi sin ach tá a lán obair le déanamh againn. Those who know me will know I am not in the business of putting things on the long finger. I want this to work but I want to make sure it is workable and practical. That is why we have proposed a timed amendment. We have a work plan as part of that. This is not kicking the can down the road and saying that no work will b…

I thank Senator Kennelly for raising this issue. As he knows, the LIS is a programme for improvement works on small private or non-public roads in rural areas that are not normally maintained by local authorities. The scheme is funded by my Department but administered through the local authorities. It is important to note that the focus of the scheme is supporting the continued improvement of non-public rural roads and laneways that would not normally be regularly maintained by local authorities. As we both agree, …

Absolutely. I assure the Senator of my commitment to the LIS. I am engaging with officials on it. There are disparities in the funding per km across local authorities and I want to get a national standard on that. If we get a national standard, that will result in more roads being done in the counties that are delivering. I am also looking at the level of expenditure. Sometimes we gold-plate roads, as it were, when that is not necessary. We need to give a workable surface that people can travel on; we do not need g…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist. Tá leithdháileadh iomlán de €611 milliún faighte ag an Roinn ar fad i gcáinaisnéis 2026. Leis seo, cuirfear €192 milliún ar fáil don chlár fhorbartha tuaithe; €260 milliún don chlár forbartha pobail; agus €159 milliún do réimse clár na Gaeltachta, na Gaeilge agus na n-oileán. Fuair mé méadú an-suntasach sa mhaoiniú do chlár na Gaeltachta, na Gaeilge agus na n-oileán. Tá méadú 29% ar an leithdháileadh, ó €123 milliún go €159 milliún in 2026. Is é seo an méadú is mó sa r…

Tá sé deacair ag an bpointe seo sonraí don breakdown sin a thabhairt don Teachta. Beimid in ann sonraí faoi Ché Inis Oírr a thabhairt dó ach táimid fós ag obair leis an OPW ar Shráid Fhearchair. Tá an OPW in éineacht linn. Táimid ag lorg tender le haghaidh cúrsaí in Indreabhán. Beidh na sonraí agam tar éis an phróisis sin. Tá dúshlán mór ann d’aon tógálaí faoi láthair mar gheall ar chostais. Bhí sé sin soiléir san obair a rinneamar ar Ché Inis Oírr. Tugadh airgead caipitil breise don údarás agus le haghaidh gnáthch…

Tá méadú difriúil le haghaidh Údarás na Gaeltachta. Tá €2.5 milliún i gceist, lena n-áirítear méadú €1 milliún ar leithdháileadh caipitil le haghaidh an údaráis leis féin. Tá obair eile le déanamh le airgead caipitil sa Ghaeltacht freisin. Tá tograí nach bhfuil chomh mór leis na tograí atá sa phlean forbartha náisiúnta. Tá an ghnáthobair a dhéanaimid gach bliain maidir le cúrsaí Gaeltachta agus na cumainn spóirt ag teacht as sin. Tá mé sásta a rá go bhfanfaidh mé i dteagmháil leis an Teachta agus leis an gcomhchois…

I agree with the Deputy about the importance of housing. My Department works closely with colleagues in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage across a range of areas. Officials in both Departments are in regular contact about a number of areas that cut into housing, including town centre first, local economic and community planning, planning for and the provision of housing for Irish speakers in Gaeltacht areas, input to the successor to the Our Rural Future policy, the local democracy task force…

I would encourage the Deputy to put his cynicism to one side and look at budget 2026. It contains a record allocation of over €9 billion for housing capital investment. This has been a major issue that has come back to us in the consultation on Our Rural Future. The vacant property refurbishment grant provided by the Department of housing is really important in rural areas. A sum of €165 million has been allocated for the vacant property refurbishment grant for 2026. Generally, in terms of our work on Our Rural Fut…

Táim ag iarraidh obair leis an Teachta. Tá an t-airgead ann. Tá na figiúirí ann ón CSO a léiríonn go bhfuil ardú mór sna ceadúnais tithíochta, tithe aonair go háirithe. Táimid ag obair leis na húdaráis áitiúla. Bhí cruinniú agam freisin le príomhfheidhmeannaigh na n-údarás áitiúil a bhfuil Gaeltacht ann chun plé leis an dream sin faoi na rudaí is tábhachtaí. Leag siad béim ar an tábhacht a bhaineann le cúrsaí infreastruchtúir. Sin an fáth gur chuireamar béim sa phlean forbartha náisiúnta go mbeidh Uisce Éireann in …