Micheál Martin
Cork South-Central · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“At the beginning of April, the Government approved the establishment of the Cork city futures group to guide development of Cork city for the future.”
“We have to have a budget that reflects the need to sustain that level of work in our economy so that people will have access to jobs. The AI issue is causing a lot of concern. I take heart from the investment announced by Intel this week, which will be AI-propelled, actually.”
“Dublin City Council is progressing the establishment of this new legal entity, in line with the timelines laid out in the roadmap; a ten-year integrated area strategy for Dublin city centre to optimise funding and investment and tackle vacancy and dereliction; and accelerated delivery of landmark capital projects in the city centre throug…”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 to 30, inclusive, together. This will be a long answer because there is one task group and one futures group.”
“I think Deputy Hayes was being a bit petty, if that is the word I am looking for, in what he said about Spain. Well, using the word "petty" might be a bit uncharitable today. It is more a Spain is more vociferous than us kind of thing. We have worked very well together on the Middle East. It is a very serious issue.”
“A dedicated body, to be known as The Cork City Futures Group, will work to unlock the city’s full economic, cultural and academic potential, alongside further investment, innovation and infrastructure. I think people are familiar with the terms of reference.”
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“What do we face? We face judicial reviews and I do not think that is right. This is beginning to undermine the democratic voice in here because we are elected to do things and get things done but every step of the way, whether it is a wastewater treatment plant or infrastructure, there are judicial reviews and many of them are politically motivated. From the Government’s perspective, we want supply, more supply and more supply. Housing supply numbers for 2025 in the second quarter, as the Deputy knows, were quite strong for that time of the year. There was a 35% increase year on year on the second quarter in 2024, a 20% increase for the year to date compared to 2024 and they are the strongest second quarter and half yearly figures since 2008.”
“If you continue with eviction bans, rent freezes and all of that, you will depress suply. There is no doubt in my mind about that. If we keep doing judicial reviews, even against guidelines and regulations - the Deputy should not nod; these are the facts - that is paralysing the system. We want to get apartments built - different types, sizes and guidelines. The first resort of public representatives in the Labour Party, and other parties, is to go and do a judicial review, which will delay progress on that front by six or eight months. Everybody has identified the shortage of apartments as a key issue. The Government has moved through reform of the rent pressure zones, through changing the apartment guidelines and through the VAT cut, to try to get to a position where we narrow the viability gap so we get more apartments built.”
“I would argue that the Opposition has ignored the Housing Commission on rents because it clearly pointed to a reform of the rent pressure zones, RPZs. It said they were not fit for purpose and should not be allowed to continue. Once the Government and Minister came forward with reforms of the RPZs, balancing protections by making it full national coverage and other measures, there was a chorus of opposition from the Opposition-----”
“We know that energy prices in Ireland are high. There are a number of factors. The fundamental factor is the broader regulatory framework that governs the pricing of energy, gas being the issue. Gas sets the price. We are at a disadvantage in that respect, as we are in respect of the dispersed nature of our grid. We have the eighth highest electricity prices in the EU 27 when adjusted for purchasing power parity. That is where we are right now and the Minister has established a national energy affordability task force to deal with this issue and identify-----”
“What is important in terms of the energy companies is the more fundamental issue facing the market, which is the methodology by which the European Single Market works in terms of how prices are determined for gas and the margin of pricing or pay-as-clear system. That is the fundamental problem. The Minister has established a national group to look at the regulatory framework governing the pricing of energy. That has to happen in tandem with Europe. The Iberian peninsula did something on this because of the high proportion of renewables in their mix. We need more renewable energy, but in the interim we are totally reliant on the importation of gas - not totally but almost 80%.”
“Sorry, in terms of methodology, I am into arresting and dealing with those who are genuinely suffering from deprivation and consistent poverty, rather than the idea of relative poverty, which is a moveable feast, particularly with an economy that has been growing for ten years. We either have serious discussions about these things or we do not. The Deputy just goes herd-like after the latest headline. That is all she does. She latches onto the latest headline and off she goes. I can recall that during the energy crisis, the proposals she came up with would have undermined our financial credibility and would have been a boon to the oil companies and the fossil fuel companies.”
“Do we want a serious debate or not? Under the SWITCH model, if we index to inflation, the lowest income deciles benefit substantially more than anybody else, by up to 4% or 5%. If we index to wage growth, it is a different story. I am more into deprivation and consistent poverty-----”
“Housing is the biggest single issue facing us, and the budget puts extraordinary resources into housing on top of what was provided in the national development plan. Most young people, irrespective of where they are in the income brackets, want either to be able to afford a house to buy or to rent or, if their incomes are within a certain bracket, to get a social house. We provided enough resources for over 10,000 social houses to be built next year and additional social houses to be leased or acquired. That is the point I am making. I did not say anybody got it wrong or anything like that. To come back to the ESRI, I would argue its methodology is somewhat flawed-----”
“Ní aontaím leis an Teachta in aon chor. Rinne an Rialtas an-chuid i mbuiséad na seachtaine seo caite, go háirithe chun cabhair agus tacaíocht a thabhairt do dhaoine a bhfuil ag fulaingt faoi láthair. Admhaím go bhfuil costais mhaireachtála, go háirithe ó thaobh cúrsaí bia de, ag dul in airde. Thug an méid a rinneamar cabhair agus tacaíocht do na daoine is boichte agus na daoine atá ar na hioncaim is ísle sa tír. Níl aon amhras ach go ndearnamar sin. When we look at the budget across the board, it focused on those on the lowest incomes and also on investing in public services and infrastructure. All of us in society benefit from investment in infrastructure, in education services and special education services, in health services and in more housing.”
“In conclusion, we have set out to ensure sustainable economic growth against a very challenging and uncertain international economic background. While economic growth is not a goal in itself, it gives us the resources to put services and supports in place, to take care of people when they need a helping hand and to ensure every person has the opportunity to succeed. The objectives of this budget are clear. It strikes the correct balance between addressing the challenges of today and ensuring our public finances remain sustainable over the medium term to enable investment for future generations. Along with the national development plan, budget 2026 plots an ambitious and inclusive course for our people and provides us with a tremendous opportunity to build a future that ensures prosperity and opportunities for generations to come.”
“We are continuing to support the roll-out of the current youth justice strategy, including expanding the network of youth diversion projects. These initiatives make a significant impact by diverting and supporting young people at risk of becoming involved in antisocial or criminal behaviour. We will also confront crime and antisocial behaviour by strengthening antisocial behaviour orders and banning face coverings to protect public safety. We will dismantle organised crime gangs, target the drugs trade and strengthen international co-operation to disrupt criminal networks. We are taking a health-led approach to personal drug use, diverting people to treatment and support services, rather than the criminal justice system, so that we address the root causes of harm while keeping our communities safe.”
“We are committed to getting more gardaí on our streets through increased recruitment and civilianisation, building safe and secure communities across the country. Last month, we published the new rural safety plan. We are establishing local community safety partnerships throughout the country. These will ensure that the needs of local communities are addressed collectively by those who are closest to both the problems and the solutions. We will equip front-line officers with body-worn cameras and extend the use of facial recognition technology, which I hope the Opposition will support, to tackle serious crimes. Work is also under way on a retail crime strategy, with actions to reduce retail crime and support affected businesses.”
“Our population is growing and ageing at a rapid rate, resulting in a greater level of demand for our health and social care services. In preparing for this since 2016, our health budget has increased by over 94%, from €14.1 billion to the €27.4 billion allocated in budget 2026. It is absolutely enormous. Through the ongoing implementation of our programme and sustained investment, reform and leadership, we are providing access to high-quality patient care, reducing waiting times and further cutting the cost of care. Funding through budget 2026 will provide for increased acute and community bed capacity, home support hours, staffing, nursing home places, enhanced community care and expansion of mental health services. In the area of justice, €6.17 billion is being allocated.”
“Additionally, work is under way in the Department of Education and Youth to establish a convention on education. This will provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity for children, young people, parents, educators and wider society to help shape Ireland’s education system for decades to come. Budget 2026 will continue to support the early years, education and further and higher education sectors through continued funding for early years, including the national childcare scheme and early childhood care and education, additional childcare places, additional teaching posts, investment in the school transport scheme, an increase in primary and post-primary capitation rates, funding for DEIS Plus and a new DEIS plan, increased apprenticeships and additional third level places. The demographic composition of Ireland is shifting.”
“This will be critical to maintaining and enhancing our global competitiveness, driving innovation and creating sustainable jobs. In this regard, increased funding has been allocated to postgraduate and PhD students. A key theme of our action plan on competitiveness and productivity, which I mentioned earlier, is embracing research, innovation and skills. Changes to the research and development tax regime in the budget, along with the publication of a research and development compass in the coming weeks, are aligned with this. These are important steps towards investing in the future, fostering and supporting innovation among our SMEs, boosting the innovation ecosystem and moving towards a more balanced, resilient model underpinned by sustained public investment.”
“We will continue to deliver a world-class education system that breaks down barriers and ensures every child can achieve his or her full potential. We remain committed to improved school attendance and completion, to supports for families in this regard and to further special classes and special school places for children with more complex needs. Considerable progress continues to be made across the senior cycle redevelopment programme. We have also recently launched the redeveloped primary curriculum specifications for all primary and special schools across Ireland. Investment in further education infrastructure, course choice, place availability and the tertiary sector, including skills and apprenticeships, is continuing at a rapid pace. We have placed a particular emphasis on strengthening Ireland’s research performance.”
“As part of a €300 million package of supports for children and families, we are increasing child support payments by €8 for children under 12 and €16 for those over 12; increasing the working family payment income thresholds by €60 per week; extending the back to school clothing and footwear payment to two- and three-year-olds, which I think is a very novel and welcome initiative; increasing the weekly fuel allowance by €5; and extending fuel allowance eligibility to those in receipt of the working family payment. We will continue to drive forward in the coming years. As our population rapidly increases - and it has - it is essential that everybody can continue to avail of our public services when needed in a timely and efficient manner through increased access and improved delivery.”
“Children are our single most important investment for our collective future. This is the bit I really have to stress to the Opposition: we need to target resources. All of the Opposition has come in today looking for universal allocations but we will not make an impact on these issues if we do not target. That is what we are doing in this budget. The measures outlined are vital.”
“The domiciliary care allowance will be increased to €380 per month, which is an increase of €20. As we said in the programme for Government, child poverty is not inevitable. By ensuring a determined focus, we can lift more children out of poverty, giving them the futures they deserve. The Government’s recently published child poverty target will be our North Star for the rest of this Government’s term. No more than 3% of children will live in consistent poverty by 2030. This would be the lowest figure in our history and would put us among the very best performers in Europe, although ultimately the figure should be zero. While no child should grow up in poverty, when children experience difficulties, we will do everything we can to reduce the negative impact of poverty on their well-being and outcomes.”
“It is a commitment to ensuring all disabled people can live the lives of their choosing without barriers, fully participating in their communities and our society. Budget 2026 reflects this level of ambition and commitment and marks an important first step on the journey that this Government will take. A total of €3.8 billion is being allocated to the Department of Children, Disability and Equality for disability services, including residential care, day services, assessments, home support and personal assistance and respite services. Additional special education supports include more school places, over than 1,700 more SNAs and the roll-out of the education therapy service. We are also increasing the carer’s allowance income disregard to €1,000 for a single person and €2,000 for a couple.”
“I have established a disability unit within my Department to enhance cross-Government working and collaboration, troubleshoot, drive innovation and change, give momentum to policy delivery, simplify pathways and improve services. In effect, the unit will make things happen. Last month, we set out our vision, which was developed with disabled people, for how we would begin to deliver a step change in disability policy across all of Government through our National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030. I pay tribute to the Minister, Norma Foley, and the Minister of State, Hildegarde Naughton, for their commitment and determination on this. This strategy will be the foundation of an ambitious agenda over the coming years.”
“New all-island investment programmes in enterprise, tourism, the bioeconomy and higher education research collaboration will also move up a gear in 2026, delivering real dividends across all sectors and the island as a whole. We will also continue at pace to develop new projects that deliver on our national development agenda to build a more connected, sustainable and prosperous shared future for all communities, working with the Northern Ireland Executive and through our strategic United Kingdom-Ireland 2030 partnership. I am determined that this will be a Government that moves forward with purpose in improving the level and scale of support for disabled people and their families.”
“We are extending the existing farm consolidation stamp duty relief, farm restructuring relief and the young trained farmer relief to the end of 2029 in addition to the expansion of the scope of farm restructuring relief to woodlands and forestry. The shared island fund, which now has a commitment of €2 billion out to 2035, is an integrated part of the national development plan and is driving a step change in all-island investment co-operation. The Narrow Water Bridge and Ulster Canal projects are well under way. Next year, Government resourcing will enable a new Dublin-Derry air link and an expansion of Ulster University in Derry and continue the transformative hourly Dublin to Belfast rail service.”
“This budget will extend the VRT relief for electric vehicles until the end of 2026 and the accelerated capital allowances schemes for energy efficient equipment, gas vehicles and refuelling equipment until the end of 2030. The revenue raised from the increase in carbon tax will be ring-fenced for social welfare and fuel poverty measures to allow for a just transition. Budget 2026 strengthens supports for farmers, fishers and foresters in rural and coastal communities in a manner that both supports incomes and ensures their long-term sustainability. We are providing €2.3 billion to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for measures, including bovine TB eradication, the ACRES scheme, the national sheep welfare scheme, the World Food Programme and Bord Iascaigh Mhara programmes.”
“While we are making real progress in the areas of energy, transport and agriculture, I have to acknowledge that the latest EPA projections make clear one thing, namely, that we have to go further to tackle climate change faster and at scale, particularly over the next five years. A total of €1.1 billion is being allocated to the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment for measures such as the residential and community upgrade schemes, the retrofitting of public buildings and funding for the climate action and environmental leadership programme. We will invest in flood relief schemes, building sustainability and resilience in our grid and accelerating our transition to renewable energy.”
“We have accepted challenging emission reduction targets at EU and national levels and we have considerable work to do to achieve what we have committed to. We know there will be cost implications if we fall short of our European Union targets. We must factor these into our policy considerations. Change is under way across our economy and society to steer Ireland towards a low-carbon future. Reducing emissions is now at the heart of all our policies and sectors. We are seeing encouraging signs. Ireland’s emissions have been falling for the past three years and we now have lower overall emissions than at any point in the past 35 years, despite our population growing by 55% in that period.”
“With a thriving tech sector and a strong talent base, Ireland has the foundations in place to be a leader in specialised areas of artificial intelligence and a vibrant location for artificial intelligence innovation. We will ensure that we all realise the benefits of AI across the breadth of our society and economy. Climate change is not a distant threat. More and more, Ireland is experiencing at first hand its growing impacts. More frequent and intense storms, prolonged dry spells and unpredictable weather patterns are becoming the new normal. Storms Éowyn and Darragh, like others before, brought flooding, power outages and damage to infrastructure. These changes threaten our businesses, homes, our food production system and our very way of life.”
“These tax measures will incentivise the provision of new residential units, help address the viability gap, accelerate the delivery of affordable homes and encourage more stock and higher quality stock into the housing market. We are currently refreshing our national digital and AI strategy to ensure we accelerate and maximise the return from the digital and AI revolutions. This includes our commitment to invest to make Ireland a European Union centre of expertise for digital and data regulation. It is critical that we get the balance right between stimulating innovation and regulation to ensure the European Union is open for innovation and AI business. We will continue to be a very strong advocate in Europe for this.”
“We are allocating €7.2 billion in capital funding for housing to support the delivery of social homes and starter homes, the regeneration of towns and urban areas, a new housing activation infrastructure fund and retrofitting and home adaptations. Tax measures in this budget include a reduction of the VAT rate on the sale of completed apartments, targeted corporation tax and income tax measures, and an extension and enhancement of the residential development stamp duty refund scheme. We are also expanding the living city initiative, which will be significant in terms of its geographic extension, the timelines involved and so forth, and we will introduce a new derelict property tax.”
“Homelessness remains a very significant challenge. Last month, the Government announced the prioritisation of €50 million for housing acquisitions to support large families with children and housing first clients to exit long-term homeless emergency accommodation into safe, secure and permanent homes. Building on the measures already taken, and with these challenges in mind, we are now in the process of finalising a new national housing plan for the next five years and beyond. This new plan will build on our success under Housing for All and achieve further momentum across all aspects of housing delivery over the lifetime of this Government.”
“Scaling up our delivery of housing is an economic and social necessity. The delivery of homes is at the centre of the revised NDP, which includes €28 billion for housing programmes. It will create the building blocks we need to deliver thousands of new homes through upgrading our water and energy infrastructure, delivering roads and providing better public transport. We have agreed reforms to rent pressure zones. We have initiated the process to regulate the short-term lets market and introduced new design standard guidelines to help drive down the high cost of construction for apartment building in Ireland. Increasing housing supply is a common problem among a wide number of western economies. However, few, if any, governments are committing the scale of resources to building homes as Ireland is.”
“We are tackling delays in planning through the new planning Act and increasing the resources available to An Coimisiún Pleanála. We have looked at our governmental processes and revised them through the infrastructure guidelines, and we are working to ensure wider uptake of modern methods of construction. We are identifying barriers to infrastructure delivery and how we can act quickly to find solutions. We are engaging and working alongside experts and wider industry on this and in the coming weeks we will set out our actions of reform. These will be grounded in practical, real-world knowledge and experience. Just as infrastructure delivery is essential to our competitiveness, so too is the increased supply of affordable and sustainable housing. Much has been achieved in the last number of years, but we need to do more.”
“Of this, €102.4 billion is being allocated for the next five years, an additional €23.9 billion on what was previously allocated in the NDP. A further €10 billion in equity and fund releases is being provided for megaprojects in water, energy and transport. Crucially, a significant element of Government policy in the housing market is to "crowd in" investment from the private sector. The State cannot, on its own, afford to build all the homes the country needs. A successful partnership between the public and private sectors is essential in meeting the housing needs of our citizens. Funding on its own is, of course, not enough to get us to where we need to be. We have to make sure our systems and processes are streamlined, efficient and fit for purpose.”
“A lot of it will not win votes in the next election but we need to end short-termism and have a commitment to long-term investment in future.”
“Our revised national development plan represents one of the largest ever and most significant capital injections in our economy in the history of the State. We have set out annual sectoral allocations for capital expenditure for 2026 to 2030 and overall Government capital expenditure ceilings to 2035. This is a total public capital investment of €275.4 billion over the period to 2035. That is key and I would like the Opposition to say that it will also support that and commit to that in the years ahead because we need certainty for those taking on and delivering those big projects in the future, including the metro, light rail, BusConnects, new roads and active travel. That is what the Government has very decisively decided to do. To be frank, it is an investment in the future of our country.”
“We need to adapt to maintain that inward flow of investment as well as growing our own indigenous base. It is all about jobs for the future. We are reducing the VAT rate to 9% on food and catering, and on hairdresser services from 1 July next year, as recommended by the Social Democrats last year, supporting jobs. We are also working to modernise and simplify our tax code to enhance our competitiveness and reduce the burden on businesses. The Government is bringing about a step-change in the approach to infrastructure delivery. We must be better at delivering the large-scale, ambitious projects that our growing population and future generations deserve. Our continued economic competitiveness depends on it. It is the clear, unambiguous message from every analysis and stakeholder.”
“We are extending existing reliefs, including digital games tax credit and the key employee engagement programme, all with the purpose of underpinning the jobs we currently have in the economy and with a view to attracting further investment. The world is getting more competitive and what is happening in the US will affect investment flows if we do not adapt or policies. That is what these tax measures are about. However, the opposition is labelling them as somehow a sort of a windfall for employers, developers or whatever. I wish that Members of the Opposition would engage a bit more seriously on these issues because they are sending a terrible signal to investment into country, investment that has been the bedrock of hundreds of thousands of jobs over decades.”
“This is complemented by our action plan on market diversification, published in August. In budget 2026, €1.3 billion is being allocated to Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment for enhancing competitiveness and productivity, for the promotion of regional enterprise, for AI, and for Enterprise Ireland and the IDA to support our indigenous businesses to grow and expand and to attract foreign direct investment. We are supporting our businesses through a range of enhanced tax measures including changes to the research and development tax credit, the film tax credit, the CGT revised entrepreneur relief, the special assignee relief programme and the foreign earnings deduction.”
“The European Union Single Market has been hugely important to this country and we need strong international relationships. The introduction of widespread tariffs by the US, although capped at 15%, will no doubt impact on our economic growth and has been a serious consideration in preparing this budget. We are fully committed to delivering a strong and stable economy, in which every business, throughout every region of this country, has the opportunity to grow and succeed. Improving our infrastructure through ambitious investment commitments will future-proof growth in the economy for years to come. Our recently published action plan on competitiveness and productivity manifests this commitment and acknowledges the urgency of increasing our competitiveness and productivity offering in the changing international landscape.”
“These supports include a €10 increase on weekly social welfare payments, a Christmas bonus for long-term social welfare scheme recipients, an increase to the national minimum wage of 65 cent per hour to €14.15 with consequential amendments to the USC, extension of the rent tax credit to the end of 2028, extension of mortgage interest tax relief for a further two years, extension of the 9% VAT rate on electricity and gas until end 2030 and a €500 permanent reduction in the third level student contribution fee. The last two budgets contained one-off measures. Everybody knows that. This is a permanent reduction. As a small global economy, Ireland has greatly benefited from the returns of international trade, something those in opposition never appreciate. They oppose trade deals which is bizarre but they do.”
“While one-off welfare payments were essential in countering elevated cost-of-living pressures, we have undertaken to transition back to more permanent sustainable social protection measures. We remain acutely aware of price level increases in recent years, and the impact inflation has had on businesses and households throughout the country. We have now targeted cost-of-living supports at those most in need of them, supports that are sustainable, while we move to address the underlying causes within our domestic control that are driving up prices.”
“Many European governments are currently struggling, a point people should reflect on. Very few governments in Europe are delivering budgets of this kind now. We, in Ireland, are in a relatively unique position. Successful and prudent management of the public finances has enabled us now to invest substantially in our country’s future. Budget 2026, as unveiled yesterday, sets out an overall package of €9.4 billion, with €8.1 billion in additional public spending and taxation measures amounting to €1.3 billion. We are also continuing to build up the Future Ireland Fund and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund to help deal with future budgetary challenges. Notwithstanding our commitment to investment, we have also ensured that future fiscal policy is on a sustainable basis.”
“We do so to a degree that is accurately commensurate with these changing economic and demographic trends. With budget 2026, we must make continued and accelerated progress in delivery across areas such as housing, infrastructure, healthcare, energy, water and so on. We must also aim to enhance living standards, support business and improve overall well-being for the entire country as well as invest in the productive capacity of the economy. We must do this without adding excessively to inflationary pressures, while protecting the public finances over the medium term. Through this budget, I believe we are doing so in an ambitious but sensible manner and are making real strides in furthering the ambitions and commitments laid out in the programme for Government.”
“At the same time, successive years of economic and employment growth have created capacity constraints and cost pressures in the Irish economy that simply have to be addressed. Continued and accelerated progress is needed in housing and infrastructure delivery, healthcare, energy, water, innovation, public services and addressing climate change. There are increasingly difficult choices to be made. Now, during the first budget of this Government, it is essential we take steps in the right direction and make these decisions to address and mitigate economic and societal risks, as well as prepare for very serious challenges ahead. To meet the challenges of a growing population and economy, the Government is increasing expenditure in a sustainable manner.”
“Economic growth and domestic demand continue to be positive, while the traded sector of the economy continues to flourish. Exchequer tax receipts remain robust, resulting in a strong fiscal position. This strong domestic position has allowed us to carefully manage our resources and put aside reserves for the future when times are more challenging. We will, for example, have built up to around €24 billion in these funds by the end of 2026. Despite this, we cannot take our economic success for granted. Huge international trade and geopolitical uncertainty leave a small open economy like Ireland very exposed. We must be conscious of the delicate position of the public finances, largely underpinned by volatile corporation tax returns, in the face of emerging economic threats.”
“However, throughout all of this, we have demonstrated resilience and resolve, which can be attributed in large part to the hard work and talents of our citizens, enterprises, and those that have chosen to work and live here and who have contributed greatly to our economy and society. This resilience is also demonstrated by the strength of our public finances, which have benefited from our prudent guidance over the years. Employment levels are now at their highest level ever, with over 2.8 million people at work. That is 64,000 more year on year, yet people are saying that the Government is not doing anything for workers. We are, by continuing to provide jobs and people are continuing to participate in work. Real wages are on the rise while the headline inflation rate has stabilised.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis na Baill as ucht an deis labhairt leo faoi cháinaisnéis 2026. Is cáinaisnéis thabháchtach í leis an infheistíocht is mó riamh in infreastruchtúr na tíre. The last number of years have shown us that we are living in times of great change and disruption, from Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic to inflationary pressures, the ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East, deglobalisation and a move towards more protectionist and divisive policies, including trade tariffs, the accelerating impacts of climate change, and AI and the rapid pace of technological advancements. Each has intruded, disrupted and added uncertainty to our society and economy in different ways.”
“I think we have been very effective in creating new services in the non-tertiary centres. For example, there are some very good developments in Roscommon. In Cork, the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital has de facto become an elective hospital over time. We had that dotted around the country. Mount Carmel Community Hospital is another good example. What the Deputy is saying has merit but the detail of that would have to be worked out and a lot of work would need to be done before we could get to the stage where I could give an affirmative response. There were proposals a decade ago in terms of the north east that caused enormous tensions and argumentation - I do not know if the Deputy wants to go back to that - as to the location of a new hospital for the north east.”
“Regarding surgery, it is important to have the required skills and a critical mass in terms of both volume of patients and the multidisciplinary teams that are required to deliver optimal surgical services in given hospitals. I am familiar with both hospitals. The surgical units are a relatively new concept. They are under development. I take the Deputy's point that the north east does not seem to be in the plan, but over time, that is something that can be looked at. Recently, we made proposals for the north west. They are all at an embryonic stage of development. Where they are developed, they work very well. We will continue to examine this and keep it under review. I understand the reasons she is putting forward this proposition.”
“The Deputy has correctly identified some of the developments taking place in Louth Count Hospital such as the ENT theatre access, the EuroFlow clinic that was introduced and now the new procedure room, which will open in 2026. The Minister is listening and I do not want to take over her portfolio but throughout the country, we have been looking at how we can bring services to elective facilities. We have done this in many places around the country to reduce the burden on the major acute and tertiary centres. That work is ongoing. There is a lot that can be done, for example, endoscopy and various other services that can be rolled out, if the space is available.”