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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“If we take the overall housing supply in our economy, we have set new housing targets. The key to unlocking that is energy, water and transport infrastructure in particular. They are key to driving overall housing delivery. Accelerating that will be central to our new national development plan.”
“That will be reflected in the context of the review of the NDP. Complementing the overall capital allocation we aim to try to drive better delivery across the board. As we are establishing a new division, that is what we are currently scoping out from a skills perspective. Separate to that is how we identify some of the areas where there were delays in advancing projects in the past in order to try and accelerate their delivery. We have pretty ambitious commitments to ensure the NDP review is conducted and completed by the summer of this year. Then it is about trying to underpin that in the context of a multi-annual plan. We are driving that on. We have a lot of work ongoing in the context of the Apple escrow and also other funds. We are working with the Department of Finance on that specific strategic infrastructure.”
“First, we will review the national development plan to identify a new ambition and focus on overall delivery. What we have set out previously, for example, in regard to the state aid case concerning Apple, is that the strategic priorities of our economy are housing, water, energy and transport infrastructure. The other pillar is health digitalisation. That has been a missed opportunity for too long. It is hugely important in the context of our healthcare infrastructure. The fragmentation and limitation of the digitalisation of our health system have undermined overall productivity and value for money but also the support for patient care and outcomes. We can support healthcare workers and professionals in their day-to-day jobs given the opportunities that presents. They are some of the strategic priorities that we have set out.”
“In other instances, there are ongoing delays and members of the public are frustrated that they are not seeing the projects set out in the national development plan. We want to accelerate and boost delivery within the infrastructure division. We have overall responsibility for capital spending in the economy. That is why we are scoping out specific staffing needs but it is very much to complement the work of existing Departments, to support them in driving better delivery and identifying barriers and to get feedback from them on those barriers so that we can try to eliminate them and achieve the infrastructure delivery we need.”
“That is why we will use additional analytic and specialist expertise by working with colleagues in the Department of Finance, who will obviously have a view on overall infrastructure delivery in our economy. We will also work with the NDFA and NewERA to enhance delivery. That is why the role of the NTMA and its inputs on overall infrastructure delivery were reflected in the general election campaign. We are trying to establish a greater centralised focus on, and greater oversight of, delivery to underpin the outputs and outcomes. The Deputy is correct; there are a number of examples of projects. In many instances and in certain areas, these are being driven on and are being delivered on budget and on time.”
“We are scoping out the overall staffing needs of the division but, to be clear, the overall intention and policy focus in the establishment of this division is not to shallow out or undermine the expertise or delivery systems we have within existing Departments. This is very much to complement and enhance delivery systems, to focus on barriers to delivery and to progress the overall reforms that will be required to drive delivery across different Departments and agencies. That is the overall intention here. This is not about trying to shallow out or undermine good delivery systems. It is about leveraging overall expertise to drive better delivery of infrastructure in our economy.”
“As proposed within the programme for Government, the division and its staff will work with Departments and agencies to expedite infrastructure delivery by identifying barriers and progressing reforms to boost delivery and by using the levers at the Department's disposal, including its role in resource allocation, the proposed Cabinet committee on infrastructure and the use of cross-governmental oversight structures.”
“It is important to note that many of the Department's wider Vote sections also support national development plan delivery through their day-to-day oversight of spending and delivery by sectoral Departments, including the sanctioning of capital spending and providing advice to Government and sectoral departmental policies. Further functions within the Department also deal with issues that impact on this delivery. These include public sector pay policy in the sanctioning of technical posts and salaries required for specific expertise and the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, which has oversight of larger digital transformation projects. These officials have other responsibilities in respect of their sectors or wider current spending policies and will therefore support the infrastructure division in its work.”
“My Department is presently giving full consideration to the skills and resources required to support it to deliver on the specific mandate of the new division. Any additional skills and resources will complement the Department's existing staff in the national investment office, which consists of staff with economic and financial expertise, staff in the construction procurement policy unit, who have expertise in procurement, architecture, engineering and surveying, and staff in the commercial skills academy, who have expertise in engineering and professional development. The requirement for additional analytical, technical, procurement and project management expertise within the division will be scoped out with a view to using this expertise to support all of the national development plan delivery bodies with major infrastructure projects.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 77 together. The programme for Government sets out the clear ambition to prioritise the delivery of transformative, critical and growth-enhancing infrastructure over the next five years by delivering projects as early as possible and within budget. Extra emphasis has been given to my Department through the placing of a real focus on infrastructure and the creation of a dedicated infrastructure division led by a deputy Secretary General. The division will provide greater oversight and support across government in regard to infrastructure delivery to ensure delivery agencies can better deliver the infrastructure needed by our economy and the national development plan.”
“I acknowledge the contribution many section 39 workers make in disability, health and social care organisations across our country. As the Deputy will know, there is an industrial relations process in that regard. This is being co-ordinated by the Department of children and disability, which has many section 39 workers under its direct remit. My own Department is engaged with the Department in respect of that. The WRC is the place for that engagement to take place. On blended working, as the Deputy will know, my Department sets the overall policy. Different Departments then manage it in the context of their specific needs. I have responded to him directly in my replies to recent parliamentary questions on that issue and the ongoing work on blended working.”
“I can revert to the Deputy on the specific background to the figures and I am happy to do that. On the overall point, as our demographics change and our population grows, we want to make sure - similar to the Deputy's party - we have increased numbers of people working in the public service and that it is in a place where people want to join it and it is an attractive place to work. That is obviously reflected in overall pay policy, which is central to retaining and recruiting staff into our public service, and supporting upskilling and reskilling members of the public service to meet the future needs and objectives we share in the Oireachtas, and the policies we agree. I am happy to provide the background to the specific figures provided to me in the context of the 428,000 full-time equivalents by the end of 2025.”
“Public service bodies are working under this framework to ensure a public service that is more diverse, agile and inclusive and reflects Irish society to better serve the Government and the public, ensure that its staff are skilled for the future and to ensure it is an employer of choice by attracting, retaining, upskilling and developing its staff. I have other items I might go into later.”
“With regard to the public service workforce, I highlight a number of policy developments designed to ensure our public services are well positioned and equipped to meet the current and future needs of our citizens. We launched the Better Public Service 2030 transformation strategy, which sets out our vision for a public sector workforce of the future that is skilled, motivated and reflective of the people we serve. This strategy provides a framework for all public service bodies to identify and implement transformation priorities under the workforce and organisation of the future pillar.”
“Public service staffing levels are largely managed through a policy of delegated sanction. This was introduced in 2015 to provide offices and Departments with flexibility to manage identified business needs subject to remaining within overall pay ceilings, which are agreed as part of the budget and Estimates process. Delegated sanction allows Departments to fill vacancies through recruitment, promotion or both, in specified, designated grades up to and including principal officer standard. Delegated sanction is subject to the overall pay bill ceiling as set out in the Revised Estimates Volume. Projected staffing numbers and composition should fall within the parameters of the Department’s pay bill.”
“I thank the Deputy. The programme for Government states that this Government will undertake a programme of workforce planning to identify the optimal staffing model within the public sector to meet the needs of our changing demographics. In considering the approach to this, I will have regard to the responsibilities of other Ministers in relation to relevant issues such as recruitment in their respective sectors and taking account of the existing policy context. Regarding overall public service staffing, the estimate for public service staff numbers for the end of 2025 is just below 428,000 in full-time equivalent terms. This is the highest ever level of employment in the public service and will represent an increase of almost 22,500 full-time equivalents on the latest reported figures of 405,000 for September 2024.”
“The Social Democrats say they are opposed to energy credits, so it is interesting. A lot of the measures we introduced last year were targeted, like the living alone allowance and the qualified child increment lump sum and the working family payment. Some of the progressive measures I introduced with the additional tax credits, for example, were very much targeted at many vulnerable people in our society. That will all be considered in the context of budget 2026. As I have said, progressivity and the distributional analysis will be at the core of how we frame the wider budgetary process. We want to get back to a point where it is done through the normal budget and not through ad hoc changes through the year.”
“The Deputy is taking a very negative stance on cuts. Thankfully, we are in a position whereby we are running a budgetary surplus. We will be in a position by means of budget 2026, the summer economic statement and the medium-term fiscal plan to provide additional supports, but through a more regular budgetary process. That means an envelope and support when it comes to the social protection budget, for example. The Deputy referred to energy credits. Perhaps the Social Democrats are opposed to electricity credits. That is fine and that is their position.”
“In the decisions we took through the inflationary crisis, there was progressivity at the core, including in the double payments for many specific social welfare payments, like foster carer's allowance, the carer's support grant, the disability allowance, the blind pension, the invalidity pension and the domiciliary care allowance. We are cognisant of the need to target supports. A significant social protection package will be developed within the envelope that is available in budget 2026. Much of that will be to support the families and households to which the Deputy referred.”
“As stated, we will have a planned approach to this in the context of 2026. In every budget, we publish a distributional analysis. There is a consideration of well-being. A whole range of indices are published by the Departments of Finance and public expenditure. We have committed ourselves to progressive budgeting over the next number of years. We are also committing ourselves to returning to a more standard budgetary process, which is done in parallel with a medium-term fiscal plan, which we have to submit to the European Commission to have that anchor of fiscal discipline. There will be broader discussion on that in advance of the summer period, when we have the summer economic statement and the medium-term fiscal plan.”
“While the Exchequer finds itself in a favourable position, recent global developments will bring with them a level of uncertainty that will require a planned and strategic approach to investment to ensure our fiscal position remains sustainable. In addition, requirements under EU fiscal rules will necessitate the development of a five-year medium-term expenditure strategy, with no differentiation between permanent and temporary measures. I assure the Deputy that in the context of budget 2026, the Government will give full consideration to that wider inflationary outlook and if it changes, and the most appropriate mechanisms to target and support household living standards. In line with the standard procedures, these will be matters discussed as part of the annual Estimates process.”
“First, it ensured the adequate provision of supports for external challenges while continuing investment in core public services. Second, it provided transparency on the costs of responding to external challenges. Third, it allowed funding to be provided for specific, temporary purposes that can be withdrawn when no longer needed. Since 2022, consumer price inflation has fallen significantly and consistently. Headline inflation has been below the target rate of 2% since August last year. The consumer price index and harmonised index of consumer prices reveal a significant stabilisation in consumer prices, with the growth rate down to 1% and 1.4%, respectively, in December 2024. The Government has not announced or committed to any further temporary cost-of-living packages.”
“The inflationary shock which started in 2022 was the most significant episode of inflation experienced in Ireland since the mid-1980s. Aware of the challenges that inflation posed for households and businesses, Government provided a series of temporary and permanent cost-of-living packages. The purpose of the supports was to ameliorate the exceptionally high energy bills that were a result of market volatility through one-off energy credits and to offer temporary, targeted financial support to households and businesses while permanent income caught up to higher prices. Government adopted a two-pronged fiscal policy to allow a responsive approach to key economic and social challenges. The policy of separating temporary and permanent spending had three main objectives.”
“It would be interesting to see which Minister of State Sinn Féin would remove in order to allow for the appointment of the Ministers of State it has suggested appointing, because it has not been clear on that and did not refer to any reduction in the number of Ministers of State in its manifesto or which ones it would drop to allow for the those it suggests should be appointed, which it is entitled to do. In that context, it would be interesting to see which Ministers of State Deputy Farrell would remove.”
“The legislation that is currently progressing through the Oireachtas is distinct and different from the specific constitutional questions that are the subject of the two judicial review cases before the High Court. They are being fully defended by the Attorney General. The practice and procedure over many decades has been the attendance at Cabinet of Ministers of State. The constitutionality of that continued practice is being fully defended by the Government and the Attorney General. The legislation that is before us is distinct from that. It relates to additional Ministers of State with new areas of priority and new responsibilities. Sinn Féin's election manifesto reflects the appointment of extra Ministers of State with additional areas of responsibility and priority.”
“It was welcomed by Sinn Féin's spokesperson on finance. Deputy Farrell has not identified what role she would remove in order to introduce that Minister of State. Perhaps she can enlighten the House about what Minister of State she would drop to allow for a Minister of State for the marine, which she has welcomed.”
“The Attorney General provides all of the legal advice to the Government and is leading the defence of the specific cases raised by the Deputy. The Government is defending the particular cases so that matter will evolve in the courts. As I said yesterday, we can consider a number of other jurisdictions, such as Finland, where there are 19 Ministries, with a minister or secretary of state underpinning each, or New Zealand, where there are 20 ministers and ministers of state. Many jurisdictions of similar size and similar population to Ireland have a similar number of Ministers of State. This is to reflect three specific roles and responsibilities that are being prioritised. There is a Minister of State for the marine. We heard from Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher about the importance of that specific role in fishing communities.”
“As the Deputy will be aware, we discussed the amendments in the Dáil yesterday evening and the Bill is due to be debated in the Seanad at - I think - 12.15 p.m. today. That is the update.”
“I thank the Deputy. We had an extensive discussion on this yesterday evening. The purpose of the Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2025 is to give effect to the decision by Government to increase the maximum number of Ministers of State from 20 to 23. This number has remained unchanged for the past 18 years, since 2007, when it increased from 17 to 20. The Bill also reflects the increased numbers of Ministers of State attending Cabinet, which is being extended to four. At the moment, a maximum of three Ministers of State may receive the allowance for attending Cabinet. The draft of that Bill was published on Thursday, 6 February. A number of proposed amendments were received by Friday, 7 February.”
“How that particular communications infrastructure was affected during the storm is a matter of concern to many people in the west and north west, particularly as certain people were put at risk. I acknowledge that this needs to be corrected for the future.”
“I thank the Deputy. As already stated, the Minister, Deputy Calleary, is engaging directly in respect of communications infrastructure and on the need to ensure greater resilience in our communications networks. That is something that is being pursued. Similarly, when it comes to our energy infrastructure, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is directly engaging with the semi-State agencies and the regulators in order that we can build greater resilience into that infrastructure. I am aware that concerns have been raised with TETRA Ireland. The particular consequences there were most acute in the direct aftermath of the storm. Officials in my Department have been engaging on that. I can send the Deputy a note on that specific matter.”
“Building greater resilience among communications and emergency networks is central for the future, particularly in light of emerging and changing weather patterns. We must also ensure that we have continued investment in the road and public transport networks. This will be the subject of a new ambition and focus on the part of Government in the context of the NDP review and the need to give an uplift to investment for the west and the north west.”
“From my previous role as Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, I am aware of the absolute need for infrastructure development to unlock economic development in the Gaeltacht region in the context of jobs, etc. I am aware of the difficulties that have been experienced by many residents as a result of the recent storm and, indeed, other storms during the winter period. There has been ongoing engagement across Government on the consequences and on how some of the communications networks collapsed or were seriously impacted upon. The Minister, Deputy Calleary, has been engaging on that matter. Separately, we are aware of the need to ensure that there is greater resilience across the infrastructure network from an energy perspective - the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is co-ordinating in that regard - and our communications networks.”
“I have information on the north west and the west in terms of overall data on infrastructure to which I can return in my next contribution.”
“The review of this will encompass all public capital investment and will utilise State funds to support increased capital investment levels, including in the west which is centrally important to overall infrastructure development. This review will build on recent actions to improve delivery, including the publication of infrastructure guidance which replaced the public spending code on 1 January 2024. These set the value-for-money guidance for evaluating, planning and managing Exchequer-funded capital projects. It is a significant policy development that allows Departments greater freedom to pursue the delivery of their priority projects. It is also intended to ensure quality delivery can be achieved by agencies without causing undue delays which may impact on projects costs and timelines.”
“In budget 2025, almost €15 billion was made available from the Exchequer for investment in public capital projects, along with €3 billion in funds from the sale of the State's shareholding in AIB in June 2024. This level of expenditure is pivotal in consolidating the progress already made and in supporting balanced regional development to address key infrastructural bottlenecks more rapidly, and lead to further improvements in living standards and competitiveness. Additionally, the recently agreed programme for Government sets out that the Government will prioritise an early review of the NDP, which will be completed in July 2025.”
“As Minister for public expenditure, I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at departmental level. Responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects or sectoral policy strategies, within the allocations agreed under the national development plan, NDP, rests with the individual sponsoring Department in each case. Each Minister is also responsible for deciding on the priority programmes and projects, which they can bring to Government. That will be delivered under their remit within the national development plan and for setting out the timelines for delivery. Expenditure is, therefore, allocated and monitored on a departmental basis.”
“If a proposal is brought forward, that will be made public at the time, but it is not a matter for the legislation before us today.”
“Other Deputies referenced the amendments that were ruled out of order. Members who are in the House for many years know that the Government has no role in what amendments are in order. I am happy to debate any amendment. Deputy Ó Snodaigh will recall that when we were debating the Official Languages Act, it was one of the exceptional cases where, in fact, through his chairpersonship we debated all the amendments tabled. It was a unique instance. It is not the role of the Government to decide or dictate which amendments are ruled in or out of order. I respect the role of Deputies in submitting amendments and their respective opposition to this Bill. The matter Deputy Murphy raises is not a matter for this legislation. That will be a matter for further discussion within the Government.”
“However, it is important to reflect that the Government has always worked within the boundaries of the Constitution and the action is being defended rigorously by the Attorney General on behalf of the Government. The Constitution is clear on what constitutes the Government. It is between seven and 15 people who must be Members of the Oireachtas, and who are appointed by the President. Ministers of State are appointed in accordance with the provisions of the Ministers and Secretaries Acts. It has been the practice for many years that Ministers of State may attend respective meetings regularly. It is in keeping with the Constitution and the procedures of government. The action is being defended in court by the Attorney General and the Government. The courts will rule on that specific matter.”
“That will involve the creation of a new division with responsibility for the management of migration and also co-ordination and integration. The Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science will play a clear role in securing the financial foundations and supporting many of the Government initiatives in the context of science and research. Deputy Ó Snodaigh referenced the constitutional framework that we have. I am aware that there are two ongoing legal actions in the High Court taken by some Members of the Opposition relating to the attendance of Ministers of State at Cabinet meetings. This constrains what I might say.”
“The Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, will have special responsibility for fisheries and he will also have special responsibility for the marine in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The Minister of State in that role will provide much needed support to these Departments and to the Taoiseach to help focus in the coming years, for example, across a number of areas and support many people across the agriculture community. We also appointed a Minister of State with responsibility for migration. As has already been flagged by the Taoiseach, the Department of Justice is being significantly reformed to make sure that its focus reflects the programme for Government.”
“In some previous contributions, speakers mentioned other countries. Finland, for example, is a country with a similar population to Ireland and it has 19 ministers, each assisted by a secretary of state, which is a role broadly equivalent to a minister of State. In Ireland, there are 15 Ministers. In other jurisdictions that are similar in size, such as New Zealand and Norway, I am told there are 20 ministers and ministers of state, but this figure changes depending on decisions of the government of the day. I have already mentioned the main areas where the Government will be focusing its attention and where the assistance and support provided by a Minister of State will be essential to achieve these specific responsibilities.”
“When we consider the need in the context of the appointment of the Minister of State with special responsibility for migration, we want to have a coherent and strategic approach to that, given the increasing number of people coming to live and work in Ireland for many years. It is a welcome consequence of the growth of our economy and the job opportunities. Nevertheless, this growth requires an increased focus on delivery of public services and ensuring that we develop a cross-governmental approach to this matter. Many of the emerging challenges we face are interdisciplinary and necessitate cross-departmental responsibilities. New responsibilities will be delegated to ensure that there is an appropriate focus across all priorities. It is not possible to exactly compare government structures.”
“Today, the major consideration for seeking the proposed change to 23 Ministers of State, as was the case for previous changes in legislation, is the increased volume of Government priorities and areas of responsibility. The expansion in ministerial duties specifically to these three Ministries arises from the complexity across a number of policy issues, the challenges associated with managing extensive Government initiatives and the enhanced engagements with stakeholders at all levels, both domestically and internationally. Some Deputies reflected on the increased population in their contributions. That is the case. The population grew from 4.4 million people in 2007 to an estimated 5.4 million people at the end of 2024.”
“I will come back on some of the points raised. First, relating to the section, it is obviously being opposed. As I said previously, the purpose of the Bill is to allow for the appointment of 23 Ministers of State. The importance of Ministers of State is not something new. It was already acknowledged in 1924 with the Ministers and Secretaries Act that first provided for the appointment by the Executive Council of a maximum of seven Parliamentary Secretaries to act as junior Ministers. The number of Ministers of State has been progressively increasing due to the expansion of Government business, allowing Ministers to delegate some of their powers and duties to their Ministers of State.”
“With this complement of Ministers of State, the Government will be able to respond to many of the areas in focus and ensure the administration of Government and response to all policy needs are met in the context of ever evolving and complex areas of policy. In my initial contribution, I set out the specific references in the Bill in the context of what the legislation is intended to do. I commend the Bill to the House.”
“I thank the Deputies for their contributions and reiterate our intention to ensure the work of the new Ministers of State achieves the whole-of-government approach we are trying to implement and which is reflected in the programme for Government. This will be achieved by many of the Ministers of State presiding over cross-departmental structures and teams, as in the case of the fisheries and marine portfolios which are assigned to various Departments, for example, the Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Environment, Climate and Communications. Having different Ministers of State involved in several Departments will ensure they pull the respective policy structures together in these areas. Some Ministers of State will focus on one particular or key area, as in the case, for example, of migration.”
“We are all aware of the need to tackle various policy issues in a cross-departmental and more focused way. The increase in the number of Ministers of State will enable the Government to extend this cross-cutting approach to the many issues in which more than one Department has a significant role. It will play an important part in delivering the extensive programme of Government and the additional work of the Ministers of State, reflecting their attendance at Cabinet. I commend the Bill to the House. My colleague Deputy Gallagher will use the remaining time in the slot.”
“In addition, and as set out by the Taoiseach, given the global uncertainties and threats we face, this Government is prioritising the protection and strengthening of Ireland’s international relationships with a particular focus on trade and collaboration within the EU, especially during our upcoming Council Presidency. The Minister of State with responsibility for Europe will oversee these efforts. The Government will also focus on developing a new relationship with the UK, with all Departments building bilateral relations with their UK counterparts. Our focus will be on fortifying ties with all international partners, especially in Europe, to boost trade and create more opportunities for Irish businesses. Public policy has become more complex as our society has grown and developed.”