Jack Chambers
Dublin West · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“We have been clear about the absolute necessity to protect the huge ecosystem of digital and infrastructure investment in Ireland over the past ten to 20 years. Part of that has been the wider and ongoing discussion on the security of subsea cables.”
“Progress in achieving balanced regional development and detailing the delivery of the NDP is monitored through regular updates on the capital investment tracker and the MyProjectIreland interactive map viewer.”
“The tax strategy group examines the different options that are available to the Government during the summer. That informs the respective tax package that will advance. We have to honest about the measures we take in terms of taxation. They have to be sustainable and affordable in the long term. USC brings in about €5.5 billion per year.”
“I am not privy to the interaction the Deputy had with the Minister for housing on this, but the Local Government Fund distributes the respective funding across different local authorities, and Galway County Council and Galway City Council would receive allocations through that. I was clear in my initial response to Deputy O'Hara.”
“My Department has taken a proactive and co-ordinated approach to supporting the responsible and effective adoption of AI across the public service.”
“More broadly, the achievement of balanced regional development is a key priority of this Government and is at the heart of Project Ireland 2040, which includes the national planning framework, which sets out the wider spatial strategy for the next 20 years, along with the national development plan, NDP.”
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“In the context of further and higher education, the Minister, Deputy James Lawless, has engaged, and will continue to engage, with students and the stakeholders in that sector. That will form the basis of the options paper on the cost of education, which will inform his work and the negotiation as part of budget 2026. That specific detail will inform him about what is possible and how he wants to prioritise the different measures that can be taken on a permanent and sustained basis. The Deputy referenced the measures that were taken last year or the previous year. Those measures were taken on a one-off temporary basis as part of a cost-of-living package. We are approaching budget 2026 by trying to take measures that can be made on a permanent basis.”
“I thank the Deputy for her question. I first want to echo what she said about Brother Crowley. Ireland has lost a wonderful person, someone who brought incredible care, humility and service to support the most vulnerable in our country. We thank him for his tireless work. May he rest in peace. I offer condolences to all of his family. In response to the Deputy's question, I acknowledge there is still pressure in the daily lives of many families and costs are still high. What we said at the time of the formation of this Government was that, as part of the process around budget 2026, changes would be made in a sustained and permanent way. That covers all policy areas across government.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann, noting that the Government on the 24th June, 2025, nominated Brian Doherty for appointment by the President as An Leas-Ombudsman Póilíneachta, recommends, pursuant to section 171(3)(b) of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 that Brian Doherty be appointed by the President as An Leas-Ombudsman Póilíneachta.”
“I thank the Deputy. I know and understand some of what is being said around Letterkenny and surgical capacity for the north-west region. The Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, has been engaging with the Deputy and other representatives of the north west in the context of the surgical demand that is there. She is engaging in that process in good faith. Over the coming period, we will set out the future plans around surgical capacity for the north west, where there is significant demand. She is listening to the community and the clinicians. She will continue that process over the coming period and will then set out her plans in the context of the capital provision over the medium term.”
“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 the publication of policy.”
“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 possible for 2026. That is how the Government will proceed over the next period of weeks.”
“We are due to commence that over the coming weeks. We will be able to set out on budget day what decisions we will take for budget 2026.”
“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 statement, we absolutely acknowledge the need to support students and those in an education setting, whether at primary or third level. The Minister, Deputy Lawless, will engage in that as part of the budget process. We have to respect the budget process in advance of it actually occurring.”
“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 significant increases in funding, which has tripled since 2020. With the establishment of Cuan, we want to continue to build momentum. There will be an additional 80 refuge spaces by 2026. We are happy to work with the Deputy in driving that in the coming period.”
“However, it is important that we continue to support the measures being taken around the existing road and the road safety interventions which will make a difference.”
“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 development plan and the prioritisation of roads projects on which the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, will engage, we are clear that we want to see many of the roads projects in the NDP, which are important across our country, advance. The Minister will have to revert to the Deputy directly regarding the N81.”
“Some of the interventions we have made are on education, for example, with respect to the increased demand, provision and need in special education, and also additional supports around social and affordable housing, which is a pressing need, as we know, across communities. How we calibrate and assess the broader medium-term need of pay and numbers will be an important decision as part of our medium-term expenditure strategy.”
“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 delivery across public services, which is something we are all centrally focused on. The Deputy referenced that IFAC has pointed out potential overspends this year.”
“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 support Bere Island.”
“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.”
“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 we represent in west Dublin or elsewhere.”
“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-----”
“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 who make a protected disclosure to Departments. I want to ensure that the framework we have is in line with best practice, both in at domestic and European levels-----”
“I will ask my officials to reflect on what Deputy O'Flynn has stated and what has emanated from what has been expressed by others involved in particular cases.”
“Strong legislative and statutory frameworks must also be matched by implementation across Departments, which have responsibility at statutory and departmental level for statutory and mandatory disclosures. In terms of protected disclosures and Deputy O'Flynn's request for a review, I am happy to engage with him or to get feedback on the experience of the individuals concerned. We need to have a protected disclosures environment which works in the interests of whistleblowers, who should be protected and supported with whatever issue they want to raise. I am happy to reflect on what Deputy O'Flynn has said today in this context, taking into account the fact there is a statutory review period built into the existing legislative framework.”
“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 Commissioner, who independently has a statutory function in the context of protected disclosures. Support from my Department is given to Transparency International Ireland; its Speak Up helpline is funded by the Department to support those who make a protected disclosure.”
“If there are changes to the economic context, the Government or anyone in the political sphere must respond in that context. We want to prioritise the continued affordability of public services for citizens across the State and continue the progress we have made in budget 2026.”
“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 Irish economy. The changes to the treatment of corporate tax as part of the OECD process bring significant uncertainty. We take those risks seriously. There was discussion during the election campaign about President Trump and the impact the overall trend of deglobalisation would have on the Irish economy.”
“As part of budget 2026, we are engaging in a negotiation, in the aftermath of the summer economic statement, and affordability for students will form part of that overall discussion. The Minister, Deputy Lawless, will engage with everyone across the Government around what is possible within the overall envelope. It is distinct from previous years in that one-off measures will not feature in budget 2026.”
“That is why he is developing the cost-of-education paper which will inform his negotiation as part of budget 2026. I have also been clear that the overall budgetary context is different this year than it was in previous years. We have significant downside risks facing the Irish economy and endless expenditure asks from anyone in the House need to be carefully managed so that we can sustain whatever decisions we make into the medium to long term. We have a lot of competing demands in government, including significantly ramping up investment in infrastructure and housing, along with supporting the ambition in terms of the enterprise economy, social protection and many other areas of expenditure.”
“The distinction between what has happened in the previous three years and the process we are now entering into is that the decisions we will make as part of budget 2026 are about making permanent and sustained changes for households and workers across our economy. As a Government, we have been clear that the cost-of-living packages introduced in previous years are not part of the budget 2026 process. It is on that basis that different Ministers will set out their priorities. Obviously, bringing affordability to public services, whether in education, childcare or health, is an important component of many aspects of the programme for Government, including the student contribution fee. The Minister, Deputy Lawless, has engaged extensively with the third level representative bodies and directly with representatives.”
“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 it is in that context we will be able to see what is possible for supports around the student contribution fees or, indeed, changes to income thresholds, maintenance grants and the breadth of other supports which are important to support students across our third level sector.”
“It is examining the broader issue of costs for third level students and, indeed, for other students at primary and secondary levels around the overall costs of education. The past number of years have seen sustained supports on a permanent basis across many areas of our education system. That is what many of my colleagues will be seeking to prioritise as part of budget 2026 but that process is important in terms of what is possible for next year.”
“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 that is around the student contribution fee but there are other changes that could be made in terms of income thresholds for SUSI and other grants which have targeted and direct support for students.”
“If we look at the past number of years, we can see that there has been significant growth in public expenditure in responding to the series of crises the Irish economy faced. We now know many of the downside risks that exist could well crystallise in the short term, which is why we need to be careful around overall expenditure.”
“Everyone in this House needs to realise the level and degree of the concentration risk for corporate risks that exists right now. The changes being undertaken by the OECD in the context of corporation tax bring uncertainty. The underlying trade environment and the open trading economy Ireland sits within present significant uncertainty. This is why we need to approach budget 2026 with caution and we must be assured that the decisions we take can be sustained over the medium to long term. It is on that basis that we are trying to calibrate a tax and expenditure package that is appropriate and responsible. This will involve Ministers making choices and setting out clear priorities around their expenditure demands or changes they want to make to taxation. Ensuring we protect the resilience of the Irish economy is central.”
“He has engaged with many student representatives, recognising the costs that many students face. This is why the backdrop is important. There have been sustained cost reductions in recent years. For example, reckonable income is now €64,000, standard rate income thresholds will increase by 15% from September, which is one of the largest increases to maintenance thresholds, and one in three students pays no contribution. In previous years, Governments took sustained permanent action to reduce the cost of higher education. What we are saying in the context of budget 2026 is that we want to make further changes but it is about what we can do on a sustained and permanent basis. We have to be cognisant of the economic backdrop, something the Deputy dismissed in her contribution. We face significant economic uncertainty.”
“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 her priorities in the context of each Department. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Lawless, has also said that in the context of a pathway on the cost of education, that publication will be made prior to the budget.”
“I say to families that we will agree an envelope that will be available for changes around taxation, current expenditure and, indeed, the uplift we want to give to capital in the economy.”
“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 families to make public services more affordable and support families when it comes to higher education and the cost of education more generally. It is within this context that we are negotiating budget 2026.”
“We are not announcing measures or changes right now. We are engaging in the summer economic statement process and agreeing a new national development plan to set out the broader economic context for 2026.”
“With all those major downside risks, we are trying to approach this in a cautious way. We will in the coming weeks agree an envelope that will be made available in terms of current expenditure changes and permanent increases in current expenditure across government. It is in that context that the Minister, Deputy Lawless, will be seeking to prioritise continued supports for students and families and to make permanent changes across a range of supports, whether targeted in nature or around the student contribution fee. It is in the context of the budget negotiation process that we will be able to set out the position for families in the aftermath of budget 2026 and what will be possible. The Deputy knows, as does everyone else in the House, that this is the normal way we engage in the budget process.”
“I did not hear the Deputy reference that issue in his contribution. We are one week away from the 9 July tariff deadline. The Exchequer returns due to be published next week will give a point-in-time indication of the broader economic position our country is in. We know that the global position is changing. The concentration risks around corporation tax and income tax are there and must be reflected in a cautious and responsible approach to budget 2026. The Government is engaging in two important pieces of work. One relates to the summer economic statement and setting out the overall envelope for 2026. The other relates to work on the national development plan - which I know the Minister, Deputy Lawless, has significant ambition for - to drive continued support and capital investment in the third level sector in particular.”
“That is why, in the context of budget 2026, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Lawless, has said that, in the context of moving away from one-off cost-of-living packages, he wants to see how he can deliver sustained, permanent and costed changes to, for example, the student contribution fee, supports around maintenance and the variety of supports that are there for students. He wants to set that out in the context of the envelope that will be made available. The Minister, Deputy Lawless, will publish an options paper on the cost of education ahead of the budget, setting out the pathways to do this. It will be negotiated in the normal way. Both the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, and I approach budget 2026 against a backdrop of a huge level of economic uncertainty.”
“There are higher ceilings for families with multiple people attending college at the same time or higher numbers for children. Maintenance grants have been fully restored for eligible postgraduate students and SUSI fee support is now available for the first time ever for specified part-time in-person or hybrid courses. Despite these measures and permanent changes that were made over a series of budgets, we recognise that many families are under pressure.”
“I will set out the backdrop to this in the context of the measures that the Government has taken over recent years to make permanent and sustained reductions and interventions that are affordable for many students. If you look at the measures that have been taken, more students than ever are benefiting from financial support through the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grant support scheme. One in three students paid no student contribution last year, which is over 44,000, while almost half of students were supported in some way through SUSI last year. Standard rate income thresholds are being increased by 15% from September, one of the largest increases to maintenance thresholds. Households with incomes of up to €64,000 already do not pay a student contribution.”
“Vote 39 — Office of Government Procurement (Revised Estimate). Vote 42 — Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (Revised Estimate). Vote 43 — Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised Estimate).”
“Vote 17 — Public Appointments Service (Revised Estimate). Vote 18 — National Shared Services Office (Revised Estimate). Vote 19 — Office of the Ombudsman (Revised Estimate). Vote 23 — An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised Estimate). Vote 24 — Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (Second Further Revised Estimate). Vote 26 — Education and Youth (Revised Estimate). Vote 27 — International Co-Operation (Revised Estimate). Vote 28 — Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised Estimate). Vote 29 — Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised Estimate). Vote 30 — Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised Estimate). Vote 32 — Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (Revised Estimate). Vote 33 — Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised Estimate). Vote 34 — Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised Estimate).”
“I move: That, notwithstanding Standing Order 222 of the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann relative to Public Business or the Resolutions of the Dáil of 1st April, 2025 and 21st May, 2025, the following Revised Estimates and Second Further Revised Estimate for Public Services for the year ending 31st December, 2025, be presented to the Dáil and circulated to members on 17th June, 2025, being a date later than that prescribed for the presentation of Estimates: Vote 11 — Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (Revised Estimate). Vote 12 — Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised Estimate). Vote 13 — Office of Public Works (Revised Estimate). Vote 14 — State Laboratory (Revised Estimate). Vote 15 — Secret Service (Revised Estimate). Vote 16 — Tailte Éireann (Revised Estimate).”
“Deputy Neville is correct. We need to see a specific focus on basic, strategic infrastructure in the review of the national development plan. That is why the Government has set out prioritisation around transport, energy, water and housing in particular. I am familiar with Leixlip as it borders my constituency. Clearly the area has grown significantly, with infrastructure that was built some time ago. These are the types of broader infrastructure projects which are needed to manage the increase in population we have seen in areas like Leixlip and elsewhere. They are needed to further unlock additional housing supply in the commuter belt and that will be the strategic focus of the overall national development plan. It is about getting the basic infrastructure needs of the economy right to really deliver housing supply.”
“When one looks at the national planning framework and the strategic objectives that are set out there, balanced regional development is central. As part of the overall review of the national development plan, we are looking at critical, growth-enabling infrastructure priorities around the country and how we disburse the capital allocations. That will be really important in the separate work of the review of the national development plan but clearly, the outworking of the reforms we are advancing is to ensure delivery but also to empower agents to accelerate their respective projects where the pipeline has been too elongated and complex over the last number of years. What we are trying to do is have a cross-cutting reform to support the delivery of many of the projects that the Deputy referenced.”
“It is really important that we complement the use of AI in terms of the future of public services and delivering better services for citizens. As the Deputy knows, in the guidelines that we have issued, it is a matter for each competent authority to work with each individual on the responsible use of AI while also trying to encourage the use of AI across the public service. I am sure the Deputy can engage with the Houses of the Oireachtas on how it can develop mechanisms for the appropriate use of AI by Members of the Oireachtas if that is something he wants to advance.”
“I thank both Deputies. In response to Deputy Ó Cearúil, there will be significant private sector input into the work programme and the development of the reforms. We have six external experts on the accelerated infrastructure taskforce. That is to drive accountability and also an economy-wide engagement on how we can cut through unnecessary process delays and red tape which is impeding infrastructure delivery. As I said, I will have a report on that work by July. The outworking of that will be ensuring that we drive delivery and accountability around that over the period ahead. In response to Deputy Byrne, I welcomed his involvement and presence at the launch of the use of AI in the public service guidelines.”
“Furthermore, it will set out clearly the roles and responsibilities of the various actors across the system in the delivery of value for money. Through strengthened governance, Departments are being reminded that spending decisions must consider quality, expertise, and long-term impact to avoid superficial or low-impact investments.”
“The infrastructure guidelines, the code of practice for the governance of State bodies and the public financial procedures clearly set out accountability and decision-making responsibilities. This guidance provided by my Department outlines clear established roles and responsibilities to mitigate against waste and improve value for money. The guidelines will also ensure value for money is embedded at every policy stage, which will ensure a transparent approach and the use of corrective mechanism where required. My Department intends to fully review the public financial procedures. This review will help us to further strengthen and clarify our robust expenditure management framework and provide efficiencies in the delivery of infrastructure.”