I thank the Deputies. This financial resolution provides for the reduction of the VAT rate applied to the sale of new apartments to 9% from 8 October 2025. It will apply to 31 December 2030, that is, for the next five years. Its estimated cost for the first year is €250 million. The Government is committed to the delivery of more than 300,000 new homes by 2023. It is, of course, apparent that apartments need to be a significant part of that delivery. This is about ensuring that we have a greater delivery of not jus…

To respond to a number of points, I have never seen a Government implement in full its programme for Government in one year. Deputies need to acknowledge that we have four years hopefully ahead of us to implement many more measures-----

-----and to activate more housing, nor have I ever seen a Government that was not allowed to do more than the programme for Government. We may stray beyond the programme for Government from time to time, so be warned. Meath County Council has surpassed its housing targets with the support of Government. We will work with it to do even more. Coming from a county with a growing young population, just like the Deputy, I want to ensure that constituents have access to affordable homes and that they can buy, rent and ow…

I have answered it. It is in addition to any other schemes.

I move: (1) THAT the Value-Added Tax Consolidation Act 2010 (No. 31 of 2010), be amended— (a) in section 46(1) – (i) in paragraph (a), by the insertion of “(cab),” after “(caa),”, (ii) in paragraph (c), by the insertion of “, (cab)” after “(caa)”, and (iii) by the insertion of the following paragraph after paragraph (caa): “(cab) during the period from 8 October 2025 to 31 December 2030, 9 per cent in relation to goods of a kind specified in paragraph 9A of Schedule 3 on which tax would, but for this paragraph, be …

I move: THAT it is expedient to amend the law relating to inland revenue (including value-added tax and excise) and to make further provision in connection with finance.

I was really pleased to launch the new primary school curriculum this week, something that has been developed for many years in consultation with schools, teachers, parents and also with young people. There is no miscommunication or confusion. We are very clear as to what is in the curriculum. There is a greater emphasis on physical health but there is an emphasis on making sure we support young people's well-being. We want to make sure that we support young people to be resilient but that we also have classrooms t…

At the outset, I acknowledge the unbelievable work our principals do in our schools, the teaching they provide and the way in which they manage their schools. Of course I want to see more funding invested in education. Every cent we spend on a young person is not only an investment in their future but also an investment in our future. We have increased the capitation over the last number of budgets but of course I am currently, as we all are, engaging with the Ministers, Deputies Chambers and Donohoe, to ensure I c…

I welcome an opportunity to provide clarity for people in this regard. Three things are happening at the moment. First, myself and the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, have made very clear that we will change the timelines by which SNAs are allocated. It is not good enough that on the day before they start school, children do not know whether they have an SNA or not. We are making it very clear that timelines will align with teacher allocations. Schools will still have time at the beginning of the year to identi…

The third thing is around actual SNA allocation. No changes are being made to the criteria. The way in which they are applied now is the way in which they will be applied in the year ahead. I want to be really clear on that.

No.

I move: That, notwithstanding Standing Order 222 of the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann relative to Public Business or the Resolutions of the Dáil of 1st April, 21st May, 16th June and 25th June, 2025 the following Further Revised Estimates for Public Services for the year ending 31st December, 2025, be presented to the Dáil and circulated to members on 23rd September, 2025, being a date later than that prescribed for the presentation of Estimates: Vote 24 — Justice, Home Affairs and Migration ( Third Further Revis…

I move: That Dáil Éireann, noting that the Government agreed on 10th September, 2025, to propose, for the approval of Dáil Éireann, the appointment or reappointment, as the case may be, of the persons concerned to be members of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority, and pursuant to sections 9 and 10 of the Legal Services Regulation Act, 2015, approves the appointment of Simon Barry and William Abrahamson with effect from 1st October, 2025, by the Government to be members of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority…

I am pleased to be here today, with the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, who has responsibility for school transport in the Department, to share an update on school transport. As the House will be aware, the school transport scheme is a hugely significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department. In the current school year already almost 178,000 children and young people are being transported on a daily basis to schools throughout the country. This figure includes pupils travelling on …

The NCSE is the national agency with responsibility for the provision of special education places. This year, the NCSE has sanctioned 407 new special classes for the coming school year, bringing to 3,742 the number of special classes in our schools. There are new classes in every county in Ireland and, with the number of special classes doubling in the last five years, this now means that there are more classes than ever ensuring greater numbers of children can access places, most importantly, in their local school…

Since we last spoke at the committee, significant progress has been made. Every week, the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and I, meet with the NCSE to make sure that more places are being offered. Just under 3,300, as I said previously, were notified before the February deadline. The number after that, to be honest, is changing. Every week, more children are coming to the attention of the NCSE. In the context of the February deadline, the majority of the children involved are being supported in placements in ma…

I utterly reject the suggestion that parents are being gaslit. There has never been as much engagement with parents through the NSCE to support them. I accept that a small number of children still do not have their places. We are working on that. We will work all summer to make sure they have their places allocated to them. Parents and schools are being engaged with throughout all of this. The Department and the NCSE are working with schools. I acknowledge the many schools that are providing additional places, clas…

Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services is the strategic framework for the youth work sector. It was published in September 2024. The purpose of the strategy is to provide a platform for an effective, data-driven and joined-up approach to the delivery of youth work and related services. The implementation of the strategy will be reported on via the Young Ireland governance structures. The implementation of this strategy, and the co-operation of all relevant actors, will be sup…

I acknowledge, as the Deputy has, the fantastic work done by our youth workers. So much of it is unseen, and it contributes. We have spoken here many times about challenges in school and making sure children are in school. Youth workers in particular support bringing people back to school and making sure they are happy and they are active. My role and my intention, now that youth is under the remit of the Department of education, is that we create these links and make them even stronger. I know it is something Depu…

There is a body of work still to do on just this and identifying where are the gaps. This is separate work that is happening in the Department on mapping exactly where the services are and what types of services are being provided. This is so we can identify where the gaps are and link up better with the education portfolio and identify what resources are needed. I want to make sure current funding increases as much as possible. There is approximately €85 million between current and capital funding provided for our…