Before moving to our final speaker, I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, and his guest to the Seanad. They are welcome.

I second the motion.

I support this motion, which is not just welcome but urgently needed. Across the constituency of Cork North-West, from Millstreet to Macroom and Charleville to Ballyvourney, I hear stories from parents and providers alike. Families are under pressure. Parents are going out to work to pay for childcare. In many cases, their monthly fees are higher than their mortgage. For a young mother in Kanturk or father in Newmarket that means going to work not to get ahead or save for the future, but simply to keep their place …

I thank the Minister of State for his time.

Before I call the Minister of State, I welcome Senator McCarthy's visitors from Ukraine. Pryvet. I hope you have a good time in the Oireachtas.

Senator, we are out of time.

I thank the Minister of State and the Senator for their contributions.

I wish to raise serious concerns about the new rules in psychotherapy, put forward by CORU, which have caused alarm across the sector. A recent report in The Irish Times highlighted that CORU had refused to allow a derogation sought by the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board, a derogation that would include the requirement for personal therapy during training. That is the basic standard in most countries and is seen as an essential for both practitioner competence and client safety. What is worrying…

I welcome the Minister to the Chamber. It is lovely to have him here today to discuss budget 2026. In this section of the budget, there are lots of welcome initiatives, including the VAT reduction. I am sure many people are really thankful for that. However, every October we hear the same story of record budgets, record spending and record promises, but people in constituencies like the one in which I live, Cork North-West, are looking around and asking about where the change is taking place. The budget was billed …

My Commencement matter is about the electricity storage policy framework ten-point action plan, in particular section 4, which promises to establish a stakeholder forum for electricity storage projects. Electricity storage is vital if we are to meet our renewable energy and climate targets. How it is delivered matters just as much as the technology. I will highlight a case of proposed battery energy storage in Newmarket in my area in County Cork. Residents there have never been consulted. Decisions have been made o…

I thank the Minister of State for the time and effort he has put into this matter - I know it is not his brief per se - but the response did not deal with the core issue. It had nothing to with the price of milk, so to speak. I am talking about action No. 4 specifically. The issue is the people in Newmarket felt they just were not heard. They were just completely bypassed. It is a trend for rural areas. We would not put these kinds of projects in urban areas - people just would not accept it - but in rural Ireland …

I commend my colleague Senator Andrews, who has shown real courage in joining in the Global Sumud Flotilla to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza. It takes bravery to step into those boats knowing the risks, but he did so out of conscience. He was not alone. Irish citizens, activists and human rights defenders from across the world were on board, standing in solidarity with the people of Gaza. Too often, we applaud words but shy away from action. These activists have taken the step, putting their own safety on the line,…

As did others.

These are cheap shots during a genocide. Cheap shots.

A Leas-Chathaoirligh-----

Please, a Leas-Chathaoirligh.

He is saying this during a genocide.

These are absolute cheap shots. This is about genocide.

This is embarrassing.

I thank the Minister of State for being here and welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. SMEs are the backbone of our economy. Across the island, more than 1.45 million people are employed by SMEs. That is far more than the number employed by FDI enterprises. That is a staggering number. It proves what most of us already know instinctively, namely that SMEs are the lifeblood of our communities, the drivers of employment and the foundation of economic resilience. Shops, cafés, builders, family firms, ph…