I again thank the Senator for raising this issue. Not only have I listened carefully but I will also ensure that the officials in the Department who are dealing with drawing up the specific details take on board and fully note everything that has been said during our conversation in the House, especially that relating to the Border region. As I said, the levy is not the only action the Government is taking. I highlighted a review by senior counsel that will take place and the Government is committed to the establis…

I have listened carefully to the comments of the Deputies in the House tonight. The scandal of defective concrete products is one which this Government is committed to addressing. We have already spoken about the redress scheme that this Government has put in place which will assist an estimated 7,500 householders who, through no fault of their own, have had their lives severely impacted by the supply of defective concrete products; products which they quite rightly expected to be manufactured to a suitable standar…

I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the debate on budget 2023, which was a package of €11 billion. The core budget of 2023 of €6.9 billion was made up of €5.8 billion in expenditure measures, much of which we have been hearing about in the past few moments, and €1.1 billion in tax measures. Given the urgency of the challenge that we face, €4.1 billion of the overall package will be one-off measures to help people this year. The Government is not borrowing any money to fund this budget. These new m…

I am pleased to have the opportunity to appear before the Seanad today to contribute to the debate on budget 2023, which the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform presented to Dáil Éireann this afternoon. As with the budgets of the past few years, budget 2023 is being framed against a difficult and uncertain economic environment. While we all hoped this year would see us building our recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has changed the domestic and inte…

I thank the Senators for their contributions. I have taken copious notes of what each Member said and I will bring them back directly to the two Ministers, Deputies Donohoe and McGrath. I know Members will be discussing some of the expenditure measures in more detail immediately ahead. I want to touch on the comments people made. Some of them were repeated and some people had different angles on the same topic, which is fair. Senator Casey said the reason we could do this today is because of the good management of …

In rent pressure zones, there can be a specific increase that is specifically limited to the figures in the zones. Obviously, when there is change of tenancies, that is a different situation. The next issue was mentioned by several Senators. Again, I will repeat the phrase that there was an element of truth in what they said, but it was not the full truth - one Senator gave the full truth - regarding some of the people on social protection, that the €12 increase they will be getting is totally unsatisfactory. It ha…

Again, there are mixed views on the efficiency of Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI. Some said it was a very efficient organisation and others said it was quite slow. Others said we should spend more on retrofitting, but started off by saying they would abolish every scheme that is there already. If we abolish all the schemes that are up and running and starting to have an impact and start from scratch, in about three years’ time, we might get a house retrofitted. The idea that we will do more by abolis…

Many people mentioned the help to buy scheme. That has helped 35,000 people-----

Am I okay on time?

A number of people mentioned the help to buy scheme, from which 35,000 people have benefited. There is a clearly a philosophical difference in this Chamber, and in other chambers and between people. I am one of those people who got mortgage interest relief to help me buy my house. I would always like to live in a country where the Government supports people buying their own houses. Some people have a philosophical difficulty with the State not owning every house in the country. There is a different philosophical vi…

The programme for Government recognises that insurance costs are a significant issue for some businesses, motorists, and households, as well as for sporting, community, and voluntary groups. Accordingly, the Cabinet committee subgroup on insurance reform was established to prioritise this area for further action. This reform work is being driven through the action plan for insurance reform, which sets out 66 actions, most of which have been completed. According to the second action plan implementation report, publi…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I take his point completely and will bring it back to the Minister. The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to 1,506 schools and organisations, benefiting 230,000 children. The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to enable them to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important commitment of the Government and is a key component of policies to encourage school a…

I appreciate the disappointment and frustration for the new DEIS schools that are keen to access the school meals programme. The level of interest in the programme is a clear sign of the need for its expansion and that is something we are committed to doing. I have had contact from schools that did not make the new DEIS allocations this year. That is the next group in line because there are quite a number of them. Some people felt the decision was arbitrary but there is an appeals system in place and maybe some mor…

I thank the Deputies for raising this matter. I should point out that the issue of subsiding gluten-free foods for those with coeliac disease is a matter in the first instance for the Minister for Health. However, if the Deputies are suggesting that gluten-free foods for those with coeliac disease should be subsidised via the tax system, I will point out that decisions regarding tax reliefs and incentives are normally made in the context of the annual budget and Finance Bill process. Such decisions must have regard…

I thank the Deputies for their comments. I apologise for the insensitive reference in my script.

The issue mentioned is probably dealt with in legislation, but I accept that the context in which I read it out was insensitive. I hope that the Deputy will accept my bona fides in that respect. I stated that the question of subsidising gluten-free foods for those with coeliac disease was a matter for the Minister for Health in the first instance, but let me explain. If it is not handled in that manner, Revenue and the taxation side can play a role. If it was handled by the Department of Health in the first instanc…

I thank Senator Boylan for raising this important matter. The climate action plan sets out a road map to cut Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 and to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Decarbonising Ireland's electricity system will play a vital role in this transition and, therefore, the Government has agreed a more ambitious commitment to increase the proportion of renewable electricity to up to 80% by 2030. Renewable electricity will also support the decarbonisation of other sectors such as transp…

Demand-side response involves users of electricity reducing their usage from their normal or current consumption patterns when required. It is an increasingly important element of the management of electricity networks worldwide. It can also provide significant benefits for customers through reduced bills and gives them greater control over the energy they use and produce. Action 100 of the 2021 climate action plan sets out a specific task for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities to publish and implement a ne…

I thank Senator Conway for raising this issue, which many people throughout the country are discussing. Ireland's Covid-19 vaccination programme is based on the principles of safety, effectiveness and fairness and has the objective of reducing severe illness, hospitalisations and deaths from Covid-19 infection. The vaccination programme is underpinned by independent expert clinical advice provided by the national immunisation advisory committee, NIAC. NIAC makes recommendations on vaccination policy to the Departme…

I thank the Senator for being so specific in his request for type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes to be decoupled in view of the severe issues facing people with type 1 diabetes, who are often on pumps and in a more severe condition. I commit to the Senator that, before the day is out, I will personally communicate the views he has expressed directly to the Minister.