The Single Public Service Pension Scheme, introduced in 2013, was one of the biggest ever pension reforms. Part of what we are trying to do is ensure we have sustainability of pension provision and can pay for this over the longer term. The work that has been undertaken to increase the mandatory retirement age for uniformed staff also helps in the context of workforce planning and to give certainty to uniformed staff, where they can build up additional referrable amounts towards their single scheme pension for any …

The increase in the mandatory retirement age helps and makes a difference. It is part of what we are trying to do. It improves the overall end pension in terms of referrable amounts towards the single scheme pension. Another issue raised during the engagement with workers was that of basic pay and conditions, which we engage on in the context of the respective pay agreements. There is well-documented evidence on the need to ensure we have a sustainable pension system we can pay for in the long term. That is why ret…

The gross Exchequer estimated pay bill for Ireland's public service is €30.4 billion for 2026. In terms of staffing, forecast numbers in 2026 are just under 439,400 full-time equivalent public servants. This is the highest ever level of employment in the public service. Overall, the pay bill is a function of public service numbers and the costs associated with public service pay agreements. The current agreement, Public Service Agreement 2024-2026, was agreed in January 2024 and ratified by public service unions an…

Such an exercise constitutes a complex and substantial analytical undertaking requiring access to detailed, contemporaneous micro-level data on the pay structures and pensions of both current and former employees in order to accurately assess the full costs. It also involves a range of assumptions in relation to the pay and pensions policy implications. My Department does not have access to the required level of detailed data relating to the remuneration and pension arrangements of public servants in Northern Irela…

That is why I stated that to give an accurate picture would require a detailed analytical assessment. Pay and pension provisions are subject to different arrangements across different grades, pay scales, premium payments and superannuation payments. In the context of the Deputy's question, we have not been able to put a number beside the information he has requested. That would be an important consideration.

As part of the budgetary process each year, my Department sets out overall expenditure ceilings for each ministerial Vote group. These are laid out at Vote level in the budget day expenditure report published in October, with further detail provided in the Revised Estimates for Public Services published in December. Following the allocation of each ministerial expenditure ceiling, it is a matter for each Minister to assign funding as appropriate at programme and subhead level for their Departments and the agencies …

I am familiar with those elements of the west of Ireland, in Galway, Mayo and elsewhere. The west is being prioritised in many of the projects set out in the sectoral investment plans. There is the social and affordable housing delivery we want to ramp up in the context of the housing sectoral plan that the Minister, Deputy Browne, has published. The transport sectoral plan will significantly enhance public transport and there address road infrastructure projects across the west, which have been waiting for years. …

On the latter point, I am following up on that with Irish Water in the context of wastewater treatment plants. There has been a funding increase. I can get a specific answer to the question for the Deputy. I am aware of the importance of the issue to local towns and villages in County Galway. To the other point on resilience of critical infrastructure, a recent Cabinet committee meeting focused on the learnings from Storm Éowyn, the greater prevalence of storms and the impact this is having on basic infrastructure.…

I thank Deputy McCormack for his question. Last week, the Government published the accelerating infrastructure report and action plan. This is a comprehensive programme of actions designed to speed up the delivery of critical infrastructure across the State. This action plan responds to well-documented challenges of lengthy development timelines, fragmented processes and rising costs. These have all been identified as major barriers to achieving Ireland’s housing, energy and climate objectives. The report is eviden…

We are keen to ensure all infrastructure in the State, including in County Offaly, is accelerated. At present, it takes 15 years to build a road and it can take up to ten years to deliver wastewater and water infrastructure and seven or eight years for electricity or energy infrastructure. These timelines are all too long to meet the growing demands of our population and economy. As regards the eastern midlands water supply project, which is of interest to the Deputy, this is an issue on which we can engage with Ir…

To respond first to Deputy McCormack, again, the whole focus is on driving delivery. I take his point on the role of that particular project in the east and midlands. We will engage with Irish Water on it. Obviously, we do not want to delay the current design, which could possibly hold back the project by a number of years. There is a need to accelerate its delivery because it is a critical project for the State. To respond to Deputy Brennan, we have tried to complement the prioritisation we have given in the natio…

The accelerating infrastructure report and action plan includes targeted reforms to certain types of developer-led infrastructure as set out under action 15. This action recognises that alongside record public investment under the national development plan, private sector delivery models may play a complementary role in certain circumstances. Specifically under action 15, the Government has committed to progressing regulatory reforms that allow developers to deliver certain types of electricity and water infrastruc…

The Deputy will have heard from the Minister, Deputy Browne, about wastewater treatment plants and the work on advancing that, which will be critical to improving overall housing supply. It will not be solely Irish Water but it will be something that will enhance wider water infrastructure across the State. Similarly, there is the work the Minister, Darragh O'Brien, is doing in respect of private wires, again ensuring we broaden and enable infrastructure development across the State, which will help. I am working w…

I appreciate the Deputy's remarks. We can make a serious impact next year in terms of the legal reforms, the regulatory reforms, and the co-ordination and delivery changes we are making while also making the case for greater public acceptance of infrastructure across the State, in particular across those critical areas of water, energy and transport. Part of that is reflected in the questions the Deputy has asked in terms of enabling developer-led infrastructure as well. I look forward to working with him next year…

In the first instance, this video and the information campaign are not a direct Department of housing campaign. As the Deputy said himself, it is something that has been developed by SpunOut, Ireland's youth information and support platform, and the Housing Agency, who ran this campaign. It was developed by young people and it is based on their experiences. Like all of us in this House, I recognise the need to do everything we can to improve the availability and delivery of social and affordable homes right across …

-----which will improve the supply of social and affordable homes. We want to do more across our country with the local authorities to zone more land to ensure that housing supply increases. That is the number one issue for the Government. The Minister, Deputy Browne, has taken a number of interventions over the last number of months with regard to the rental market, taxation decisions and the new housing plan, all to deliver increased housing supply so that people can own and buy their own home here. In respect of…

------and increase and make viable the overall provision of homes over the next number of months and years.

The Deputy is misrepresenting how that video was made and created. It was made by SpunOut, a youth organisation. It was not-----

That particular video was not something that was made by the Department of housing.

It was made by SpunOut, a youth organisation in the State and I just want to be clear on that. I am absolutely clear that I want to ensure young people build a future here and have a future with well paid jobs-----