I thank the Deputy. Our retained firefighters do important, dangerous and difficult work. In their absence, communities such as the one the Deputy represents would not get the support and safety they need. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has put huge effort into trying to resolve this issue. The Deputy has said there is a WRC process. Therefore, it is best that that is the way in which the issue is dealt and that I do not interject on the floor of the Dáil. The only issue is that there are full-time firefight…

I thank the Deputy. Given that I do not have the information on a wastewater treatment plant, I hope the Deputy will forgive me if I cannot tell him the status of the weeds around the Rock of Cashel. I also know it is an important tourist and community asset. It is important and valued by the Deputy's constituents and I am sure he wants it to be looked after in the way it deserves. I will of course raise this issue with the OPW. The OPW does a very good job looking after properties and State facilities, whether tha…

I thank the Deputy for raising an issue I know he has a long-standing interest in. I have constituents who have difficulties similar to those the Deputy referred to. We come across them during our public work. Their loans have been sold and are now owned by a fund or entity which they feel is adding to the challenges they face. The licensing of those funds and organisations is handled by the Central Bank. It is not handled by the Government, the Department of Finance or any individual politician. What should be hap…

I am sorry to hear about the plight they are facing at this stage of their lives, not having a home, not knowing whether they will have a roof over their heads. I can only imagine the difficulty they are facing at the moment. Please allow me to reiterate what we are doing. We are doing two things. First, this is why so much effort is being put into building public and social housing and we are building more homes than we have built at any point since the 1970s. Second, it is the reason that such investment has been…

----- to try to support people who are at risk of becoming homeless. It is also why the housing assistance payment, HAP, is available-----

-----to provide support. The Deputy is against the HAP anyway. That is my understanding.

On one hand, Deputy Boyd Barrett-----

I have been present in the Dáil on several occasions when the Deputy has spoken against the HAP.

In any event, it is not my desire to politicise the plight of the two people Deputy Boyd Barrett referred to.

It is not my desire because they want to be helped and supported and I am sure if he has any information about them, they are already getting support from their local authority. I hope they are. Housing executive bodies are in place to try to prevent people becoming homeless.

I hope the housing executive body is aware of the issue and is trying to help.

There is a process.

I thought you were all in favour of process.

Deputy Carthy is in bad form.

Deputy Carthy is in bad form today.

I move: That Dáil Éireann, noting that the Government agreed on 8th October, 2024, 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 Bríd O'Donovan, Paul O'Donovan, Tom Boland, Paul Mc Garry, Emily Sherlock and Michele O’Boyle, with effect from 1st October, 2024, by the Government…

I move: That leave be given by the Dáil to introduce the following Supplementary Estimates for the service of the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2024: Vote 20 — Garda Síochána ( Supplementary Estimate ). Vote 21 — Prisons ( Supplementary Estimate ). Vote 22 — Courts Service ( Supplementary Estimate ). Vote 24 — Justice ( Supplementary Estimate ). Vote 25 — Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission ( Supplementary Estimate ). Vote 26 — Education ( Supplementary Estimate ). Vote 29 — Environment, Climate a…

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) (Amendment) (No. XX) (Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit) Regulations 2024, a copy of which was laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 10th October, 2024.

Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle. INTRODUCTION Today’s budget sets out a positive path for the future while striving to meet the needs of today. It is a budget for an Ireland with a growing population, full employment, public finances in surplus and public services expanding to meet our country’s needs. This positive position is the result of a balanced and planned approach to stewarding our economy and the hard work of the Irish people. Before we look to the future, I want to take a moment to reflect on the past four…

To provide further support to families raising children, two double payments of child benefit will be made to all qualifying households in November and December. There will also be a double payment of the foster care allowance. To ensure our supports are targeted to those families who need them most, a €400 lump-sum payment will be made to recipients of the working family payment later this year. The budget also provides a lump-sum payment of €100 per child to recipients of the qualified child increase payments. Wh…