The economic position our country is in cannot just be dismissed. We must approach budget 2026 with caution. We know if we strip away the windfall nature of many of our tax receipts, there is a potential risk around a deficit position in our economy, which we cannot ignore and the Deputy should not ignore as a finance spokesperson for the main Opposition party. It is in this context that we are working on the medium-term expenditure strategy and on what targeted, sustained supports we can bring forward and give to …

This will form the basis of our discussion with all Ministers on what changes we can make for budget 2026.

That is a normal part of the budgetary process that this Government is committed to advancing.

As the Deputy knows, in last year's budget, we set out a number of measures of a one-off and temporary nature. The reduction that was made on a one-year basis was reflected in that cost-of-living package. We said, as an incoming Government, that the decisions we would take in the context of budget 2026 would be taken on a permanent and sustained basis. It is on that basis that every Minister will be engaging with me and the Minister for Finance on the envelope that is agreed by the Government in July about his or h…

What I have been very clear about is that this issue will be part of the broader discussion on budget 2026. That is how annualised budgeting works in this economy and many other economies around the world. That is what we are seeking to do. We will set out an envelope in the coming weeks and each Minister will have to prioritise within that his or her overall expenditure demands. Of course, I am cognisant of the need to ease the financial burden on students and families over the lifetime of the Government. Part of …

It is important we are clear on the budgetary context for budget 2026. Many of my Government colleagues have many priorities in their respective Departments and policy areas which they will commence negotiation on at the end of July and through August. The Minister, Deputy Lawless, has been clear that affordability for students is an important priority for him as part of his negotiation for budget 2026. That is the context. We will engage in the overall envelope as part of what will be available for budget 2026 and…

We will engage in a budget process in the coming weeks, and affordability for students will be a key component of that in terms of trying to continue the permanent changes that were made in recent years. That is the context in which every Government Minister will engage as part of budget 2026. We need to respect that. The measures will be outlined on budget day in October. On the overall trade environment, the disruption caused by tariffs has been significant since January and has created huge uncertainty in the Ir…

I thank Deputy O'Flynn. I take with great seriousness the issues he has identified on the experience of individuals relating to the protected disclosures regime. As he knows, we have various legislation from 2014 up to 2022 reflecting the updated reforms introduced, some of which were introduced in the aftermath of some of the cases he has referenced, and reflecting best practice. Under the current regime a review is built in under the 2022 Act, which is due in 2027. We also have the Protected Disclosures Commissio…

My Department works with the protected disclosures national advisory group, a forum of disclosure managers from Departments, public bodies and prescribed persons to share best practice and identify any challenges that are emerging from the existing legislative framework. I will ask them to review what the Deputy has stated and feedback from others in the context of what he has said regarding the existing legislative position. Important reforms were made in 2014 and in 2022, all in the interest of supporting those w…

I assure the Deputy that this is my genuine intention. A legislative framework must protect whistleblowers and those who make a protected disclosure. I will ask the advisory group, which consists of a number of members across different Departments, to review what the Deputy has said and indeed if there are any reforms-----

The Deputy is completely ignoring what is after happening over the last number of years. Childcare investment has quadrupled from €260 million in 2015 to €1.37 billion in 2025. This is significant State investment in childcare, along with the affordability supports that underpin it. The Minister, Deputy Foley, is ambitious to continue to do more to support parents with the affordability of childcare. It is unfair to dismiss many small and medium enterprises that provide a really important service in the communities…

The Deputy dismissed them in how she described them. They provide a really important part of supports for childcare across communities in this country. They also need to be supported in how we manage the budget process.

I thank Deputy Collins. The Government and the Minister, Deputy Calleary, are committed to continuing support for the islands. This is reflected in his submission to me as part of the national development plan but also in advance of budget 2026. I do not have specific detail relating to the individual allocations for the different islands the Deputy referred to but I will ask the Minister to revert to the Deputy directly. I know the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, has been similarly reflecting the need to sup…

Since 2015, the population has been growing significantly and we have had a clear policy intent to support increased provision of public services in health, education and disability services. Part of the work we are doing as part of the medium-term expenditure framework is assessing what the appropriate number is in for the medium term in the context of the pay and numbers strategy, and what the envelope will be to fulfil that need. Separate from that piece of work, there is a need to drive and focus on outputs and…

I thank the Deputy. A number of road safety interventions have been made and are being made to the N81. Funding of €400,000 has been provided for realignment of the section near Stratford-on-Slaney and technical advisers have also been appointed to develop this scheme through a planning application. Funding has also been allocated to provide for traffic calming measures on the N81 adjacent to Hollywood village as well as for smaller safety interventions at Blessington and Baltinglass. When it comes to the national …

I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue. I will start by acknowledging the bravery of so many victims of domestic and gender-based violence in speaking out. These voices are a stark reminder that although improvements have been made, we need to keep the momentum going to achieve our objective of zero tolerance of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. This topic was discussed at the North-South Ministerial Council and is obviously an issue reflected throughout our island. There have been sig…

I thank the Deputy. I am not sure whether he was here during Leaders' Questions when I responded to many of the Deputies who raised this issue. What has been stated up to this point is that the one-off temporary measures taken in the past 12 months are not continuing in the context of budget 2026. However, there will be a real focus on affordability of public services in education, childcare and healthcare. That is something many Government Ministers want to prioritise. In the aftermath of the summer economic state…

This issue obviously involves specific, individual circumstances which relate to the Ministers for foreign affairs and justice. I can ask the Ministers to respond to the Deputy as appropriate.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. Many others have raised it and as I have said to others, this is a matter for budget 2026. We will engage with the Minister, Deputy Lawless, in that context. All measures and priorities are reflected in the budgetary discussions that the Government will undertake in advance of budget 2026. The same applies to the issue the Deputy has raised, as it does to many of the other priorities reflected across this House. The parameters we will set in July will outline what is possib…

I thank the Deputy. As she knows, this issue is regulated by the Irish Aviation Authority in the context of the EU legislative framework that exists for drones. I know the Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is working on finalising the draft policy framework and expects it to be published this summer. There was previous consultation on the framework and extensive work has been carried out in the aviation division of the Department of Transport. That is the latest position I have been given relating to …