Peter Burke
Longford-Westmeath · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I thank Deputy Ó Broin for raising this important matter. I cannot imagine the trauma many families are going through right now as a result of the conclusion of An Coimisiún Pleanála on this file. This was a dark time in our past.”
“I thank Deputy Nash for his question on this very important issue. I will say clearly and unambiguously that I share his concerns in relation to ensuring that no product produced in Ireland ends up in the Russian military complex. We are very firm in that belief.”
“I have heard suggestions in some outlets that the Irish Government was in that company's corner at key European forums. That is not true. The European Commission has brought forward 20 sanctions packages and Ireland has supported them all 100%. It is very important to put that on the record.”
“I thank Deputy Wall for his very important intervention. I heard part of the interview this morning, which was exceptional and very courageous, showing leadership in an area which affects so many people in our society. I know the Minister for Health is supportive of the Deputy's initiative and remains so.”
“We have enacted the Family Courts Bill, establishing a dedicated family court to look at very sensitive items for victims. We have introduced an offence for non-fatal strangulation, reflecting the seriousness of the abuse and the stress and harm it causes.”
“I thank Deputy Murphy for being proactive and bringing forward a solution to try to operationalise a group of the Oireachtas and showing leadership to do that for Tipperary. I will absolutely bring that to the attention of the Minister for justice, particularly considering the cross-party aspect.”
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Every one of 870 lines we hold for Peter Burke, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 8 of 18.
“I am pleased to be in the Seanad today to present the Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2025 for consideration on Second Stage. The Bill was published on 13 June 2025 and initiated in the Dáil on 19 June. Committee Stage took place at the Select Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment on 17 July and 12 November. The Bill was passed by Dáil Éireann on 21 January 2026. The short Bill introduces amendments to the Copyright and Related Rights Act, as amended, that are necessary following the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union delivered in September 2020.”
“I thank Deputy Coppinger for raising this very important issue. I understand that the Bill was published on 9 January and that it is down for Second Stage in the House. It is important to raise those issues. I will raise the Deputy's specific concerns with the Minister for justice during the week.”
“These allow businesses to see how bringing in artificial intelligence can result in greater productivity and, critically, allow workers to work on other areas, focusing on growing business and bringing more revenue streams into the economy. We have seen record growth among Enterprise Ireland companies this year. Exports were worth €36 billion, which is something never heard of before. We want to continue that growth, add 75,000 additional jobs over the next five years and see growth in research, development and innovation, where the tax credit will help. We are aiming to bring approximately €2 billion into the economy through Enterprise Ireland high-value jobs and continued exports. I will work with the Deputy to help companies to start growing in scale through the schemes we have over the coming years.”
“I thank Deputy Neville for raising this very important issue and for the work he is doing for the enterprise sector to ensure rewards for enterprise are very much embedded in our economy. A number of offers are currently going through Enterprise Ireland. We have doubled the value of the innovation voucher, which is a huge assistance with tertiary education. It provides for a great deal of the commercialisation of research that can be seen taking place in our economy. The grow digital voucher offers up to €5,000 for smaller businesses. To support them, we also have bespoke schemes offered by Enterprise Ireland for cybersecurity, business consultancy and process innovation.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising those very important issues on behalf of his constituency. I will raise them with the Minister for education and ask her to revert to him on the policy position directly.”
“Many of them keep the cornerstones of our economy together. Amanda, you are very brave. Keep the faith. This country will have your back.”
“I want to acknowledge Amanda's presence and say how proud of her I am. I saw her report on the news. The work she has done in tertiary education has been exemplary. As an Irish Government Minister, I want to say that she and her family are really welcome in our country. My heart goes out to her on what she has had to experience. I will say to Amanda that we have an independent justice system in our country. I absolutely assure her that An Garda Síochána will investigate this heinous crime in full and ensure that someone is brought to justice for it. I also acknowledge the huge contribution that people who come from many different countries make in ours. I am very proud of the one in five people working in our economy right now who were not born in Ireland. They make a contribution to our healthcare and hospitality sectors.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this very important matter. I assure him the IDA is liaising with BNY on the building and a future occupant for it. That will be to the forefront for any building that becomes vacant because of a change in operations, like BNY had in terms of its consolidation. We will do everything we can to get a replacement tenant in it. One of the things I am really driving the IDA on is the dispersement of jobs. We need to see a strong proportion going to regional areas. It has hit 56% or 57% and we hope that will continue throughout the remaining four years of the current strategy.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. I am a firm advocate for carers. We in society owe a huge debt for the work they do. That is why the Government is responding through supports and is on a trajectory to abolishing the means test for carer's allowance to demonstrate our support for the sector. The taxation is based on other income people may have received. The Taoiseach has sought a briefing on this. It was raised in the House earlier this week. We can revert to the Deputy in due course.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It seems a very genuine case in connection with Alfie. The date was brought forward to give greater certainty but the Minister is working with the NCSE. If the Deputy raises that with the Minister on a case-by-case basis, I hope we will get a satisfactory resolution.”
“Deputy Cahill gave us a good tour of the kingdom. I join him in articulating how important Local Link is and the agility it provides for communities across the age spectrum. It is striking to see in my locality the varying age groups that use it weekly to help them socialise or go to hospital appointments. It is a key asset to our community and another way of thinking. I absolutely support the Deputy's call and will raise it with the Minister.”
“In 2026, we have a record budget for disability services - this is a fact - and the Government wants to continue to support that sector.”
“During Leaders' Questions, I raised quite clearly what the Government was doing for people who were most vulnerable, particularly the 15% increase in our fuel allowance, of which one in four households is now in receipt of, to reflect the challenges related to the cost of living. I also mentioned the social welfare increase for carers, those with disabilities and those on the margins of society of €10 per week. There are further interventions that assist people through the social welfare code. I always point out that the community welfare office is ready to assist people if they have any one-off shocks or meet a liability they are unable to discharge. I assure people that the Government will continue to work to support people with disabilities.”
“I acknowledge the huge work Deputy Clendennen is doing in being a firm advocate for our small family businesses. I know, as Minister for enterprise, that they employ two thirds of people right across our community. We have taken a number of initiatives this year around viability and worked to ensure that they are more viable, including setting up our small business unit and working with our cost of doing business advisory forum, which is looking at the interoperability of regulators that are currently on our landscape and ensuring we are doing things faster and being agile as an economy. We also have a huge amount of work to do, as is outlined in the programme for Government, related to other viability measures. We will work with Deputy Clendennen to ensure our small businesses continue to grow.”
“I thank Deputy McCormack for his important intervention relating to Offaly. I will raise it with the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien, in connection with the request for additional funding that Deputy McCormack has placed on the House. Our road network, particularly in rural counties, is of significant importance to the community.”
“The Government has made significant progress in this area, particularly with the deposit return scheme, which we can see has had a very significant impact in our country. I will raise the Deputy's specific issue with the Minister in relation to the circular economy. A lot of retailers are taking action themselves. That is one area where customers can choose a more sustainable model. I will raise the Deputy's concerns with the Minister.”
“Obviously, I am not the Minister for housing, but I will take this issue up with him. I would point out that the Government has been very proactive in protecting homeowners in Donegal. I acknowledge all those homeowners who have applied for the current scheme, which was enhanced, and the work done throughout our communities to ensure people and families are protected, because that is a primary concern of the Government for all those families that are affected in Donegal. I will raise the specific issue Deputy Ward brought up with the Minister for housing.”
“Under the Digital Services Act, DSA, it is very clear. Coimisiún na Meán and its chief executive were out stating that they were examining this issue. They will take action with our European authorities in the Commission. The Government is being very hard on this issue.”
“I thank Deputy Gibney for her question. I really want to stress that the primary concern of the Government is our people and our children. Irrespective of any revenue that ever comes into this State, that is our main objective to protect. We have independent institutions that administer justice in our country.”
“I know there is record level of investment in places for those with special and additional educational needs for 2026. My colleague, the Minister, Deputy Naughton, is working very hard on improving it and ensuring everyone has a place. I will raise the specific issue in Deputy Smith's constituency with the Minister for education and report back to him.”
“This is questions on promised legislation but I will respond directly to Deputy Doherty, as I have been very clear in relation to the NSSO. This is an error by the NSSO and Ministers are engaging with the NSSO. I do not know, nor should I know, the identity of anyone's payroll matters in the State. I do know from dealing with the NSSO because, as I said, between underpayment and overpayment everyone who served and gave a salary sacrifice in government, with regard to the decision to reduce salaries by 10%, was affected. This is why it is critical-----”
“The local democracy task force is examining these functions and the report will be received by the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, in the coming weeks. We want to ensure that local authorities take responsibility and this will be important for housing. We have to hold the feet of the local authorities to the fire, and we are unambiguous in saying this, in respect of housing. We also commend them on their work in other areas, which is really appreciated by communities up and down our country.”
“I thank Deputy Timmins for his response. I am very much at one with him and the vision he is setting out. The Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, along with the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, has brought in a number of local authorities and continues to do so with regard to housing and zoning. This is setting the trend that we need to be more ambitious to ensure we underwrite the infrastructure for the growth of the growing economy we have in this country and the significant growth in our population. Section 28 guidance encourages ambition and local authorities taking a proactive view. This is what we want to see in the trajectory of local property tax, which gives a significant uplift to the budgets of local authorities; we need to see more responsibility being taken on.”
“Local authority workers, and particularly our ground staff, are often out there risking their lives, trying to ensure that people can get to work safely and that our local communities can function. A huge debt of gratitude is owed to all of our outdoor staff and all of our local authority members who work tirelessly to ensure we have stronger communities. They are working to plan how infrastructural investment takes shape in our communities through county development plans and local area plans.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, will be in very close contact and will be watching over the reform proposals therein. I am absolutely a strong supporter of local democracy and of our local authority members, of all parties and none, and the great work they do throughout our country. I would be very supportive of additional powers for our local authority members. We are very clear about the work they do. In many cases, and I know this from my work on local government, local authorities in particular are first responders. If we look at the Ukrainian crisis, when thousands of people came to our shores, local authorities were at the very forefront. We can look at the global pandemic and the work they did. We can look at any of the significant weather events that hit our country.”
“I am very much aware of the challenges they face, particularly in our modern era when devising county development plans, local area plans and all of the strategies that local authorities are now obliged to have under primary legislation. Notwithstanding the 180 powers in the reserved functions they have, erosion has taken place in many sectors and many areas of our local authorities. I know from working with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, that he is doing great work in the local government sector. The Government established a task force on local democracy back in June. This has been working to progress and bring proposals forward. It held its inaugural meeting on 26 June and has met on seven occasions to date. It will meet again this afternoon.”
“I thank Deputy Timmins for raising this very important matter. Like him, I served many years as a local authority member and I was also privileged to be cathaoirleach of my county in Westmeath. I got a huge amount of experience through the process. I am always very much aware that local government is the closest arm of government to the citizen, with the more than 1,100 services it provides in many sectors of society. They are absolutely key and they are upheld and fought for by our local authority members throughout the country. This is why, when I was Minister of State with responsibility for local government I prioritised making improvements by introducing maternity leave for female councillors, which was so important, and bringing about proper pay and conditions for local authority members.”
“For those who are in a situation where they are embarking on drawing down the fair deal scheme, we will also have to look and ensure that we do not see properties vacant for a long time. We have to respect the wishes of relatives too. This is very important in that process. We will work with the House in the context of the pre-legislative scrutiny report and when the legislation comes before the Dáil.”
“The fair deal scheme has its own primary legislation that underpins it. Any unintended consequences can be looked at through that prism. We absolutely do not want any policy that would go against the Government's incentivisation with regard to dereliction and vacancy. One can see the very significant moves we have made by bringing 20,000 homes back into use, supported by the vacant property refurbishment grant. We can see the extensions of that, particularly for over-the-shop living and through the croí cónaithe scheme where people can get a grant to bring a derelict property back into use, as well as grants from the SEAI. There is €100,000 collectively between both grants to bring derelict properties back into use.”
“As the Bill comes forward, it will be up to the House to scrutinise it. The pre-legislative scrutiny report from the Oireachtas joint committee will also provide recommendations to the Minister. The Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, is working very hard on it. There was strong collaboration with all the bodies in this sector in trying to ensure that there are no unintended consequences and that we get those key rental properties into the marketplace. This has been a challenge, if we are being honest, over the past number of years because of either the regulatory burden or the supply issue. That is what we are committed to resolving.”
“It is critical that if there are any issues or unintended consequences, we can put forward amendments in relation to that. The pre-legislative scrutiny report has concluded. That is being presented to the Minister and the Department. They will take into consideration some of the issues that have been raised by the Deputy and at the committee. It is important that we look at how we can get more rental properties into the market. That has to be the first objective here. Second, how do we protect those who are vulnerable and renting in our economy and ensure that we have and continue to have the security of tenure that we have done over this current Government? This is key to ensure that people have that certainty in the rental market. That is why there are so many forms of cost rental of rental options now which are critical for renters.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this very important matter. It is a priority of the Government to get as many rentals as possible, cost rental and indeed in the private rental market, particularly those mom and pop landlords who have one and two houses, of whom there are about 85% in terms of those who have the market share. It is critical for a functioning economy that we bring in further supply into rental accommodation which is so important. That is why we have also been supporting renters by increasing the rental tax credit. This is critical to assist them and ensure that 320,000 people who are renting get that key support. If renters are jointly assessed, they get €2,000. It is so important that would continue. In relation to the changes that the Deputy mentioned, I understand that the Bill is coming before the House shortly.”
“I absolutely assure the Deputy that, in terms of cost rental, affordable housing and social housing, it is a fact that we are at record levels. These have not been seen since 1970s in terms of social housing and also since the records go back to 2007 in relation to first-time buyers coming into the economy. This Government is critically supporting first-time buyers to get their keys to a new home. This is vastly different from what other politicians offer in this Dáil. They want to pull the rug from under them. We want to support them.”
“The Government has taken a number of actions across 2025 and into 2026 to try to speed up construction while ensuring that we are getting high quality housing into the marketplace. We have revised the national planning framework which ensures that we have the infrastructure matched with the zoned land to ensure that we are getting those high-quality houses. We have increased the amount of funding for the purchase of local authority housing. This is key to ensure security of tenure for those who fall into a position where their property is being sold. We have also increased significant investment in our State utilities, such as Irish Water, to ensure that we have the infrastructure and allowing developer-led initiatives. Again, this is trying to speed up the timeframe in which we can deliver housing.”
“I assure the Deputy that this is one area that is being supported by record capital on behalf of the Government to ensure that people get that opportunity. Year-on-year, the Deputy will see huge improvements, as the data shows. The Deputy only has to look at the CSO data. It is the gold standard. If you go around the country and look at the construction sites, people can see diggers on the ground, builders there and housing being delivered which is of the highest quality it has ever been in the State.”
“We also know in terms of our first-time buyers that we have 24,335 in the first three quarters of the year, which is up 13% year-on-year. That is why the Government is really focused on making the changes that are going to bring more affordable housing into the economy, to ensure that we have options for people who want secure tenure for renting in terms of our cost rental model, for those who are most vulnerable in social housing, and also the opportunity to buy and own your own home, like the first home scheme, which gives that opportunity, as well as the help to buy scheme, which has helped thousands of families across our economy get the keys and realise their ambition of owning their home.”
“If the Deputy looks at the CSO data that was published at Christmas, apartment completions are up 30% year-on-year for the first three quarters of 2025 compared with the previous year. Other scheme dwellings have seen a significant increase, with 12,200 for schemes and single dwellings, one-off houses, at about 4,136. The first-time buyer rates are at record levels. A total of 27,000 drew down mortgages to September - 60% of the market share. That is the balance we have had a huge challenge in reversing over the last seven years. We now have first-time buyers at that level of drawdowns in the market share. At this point, we have 29,000 social housing units that are at varying stages of completion in the cycle that will be coming into our economy.”
“Over the negotiation of our capital plan, the Government took a view that we have clear priorities. Critically, we know that if everything in an economy is a priority, nothing is a priority. In the €19.1 billion that we are going to spend this year, there are four clear priorities. Housing is number one, along with the enablers of housing in water, wastewater, energy costs and transportation, which are key to unlocking housing. For every single person in this State, it is one of the critical things. You have to see a trajectory for owning your own home, for getting the keys to your own home or to be supported in accommodation if you do not have the means to do so. That is why this Government has worked to ensure we are prioritising housing.”
“As I said, one in four homes in our country is now in receipt of fuel allowance. We have seen improvements in terms of social welfare being linked to work with the back-to-work allowance, all those key areas that we need to do more on. If the Deputy looks at the warmer homes scheme, there has been an elevenfold increase since it was brought in in 2020 to future-proof homes throughout our country to ensure that we bring costs down and make our households more sustainable.”
“I have pointed out a series of actions that the Government has taken to protect the lowest-paid workers in our economy, those who are on disability and those who are caring for the most vulnerable in our society. There is a €300 million package aimed at child poverty, for which we have a unit in the Department of the Taoiseach, trying to ensure that families are protected through what we see is a significant challenging period through inflation. Families are now in receipt of all of those actions throughout 2026. We want to do more as a Government. That is why we have set out a pathway that is sustainable. Some of the calls made in this House weekly are not costed and are not sustainable. Our job is to protect the most vulnerable in society through the social welfare code.”
“This demonstrates what the Government is doing and the action we are taking to respond to the challenges. This year, I will enhance the powers of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, the key agency that looks into competition in our sectors, to ensure we are getting fair competition in the grocery sector. We have seen a number of investigations to date in this regard. We have also seen the work the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is doing in meeting the energy companies. They are very clear. They have hardship funds, and anyone who is in danger should liaise with their energy company. There is assistance there. We want to work to ensure that everyone is protected in society. That is what you do when you have a strong economy.”
“We have also increased the basic rates of social welfare and the thresholds for the carer's allowance, bringing us on a pathway to abolishing the means test. Again, this is rewarding carers and trying to assist those who are protecting the most vulnerable and doing the State a huge service in keeping people in their homes and living independently. We have worked very hard in increasing the basic social welfare payments by €520 per year. This, again, is a great assistance. We have extended the thresholds of the working family payment for those who are working and on lower incomes. In the public sector pay agreement, we can see how we have ensured that people on incomes under €50,000, those who are under the most pressure, get the greatest increase. Over the lifetime of the agreement, as I just outlined, the increase will be about 17.3%.”
“To assist the most vulnerable families, we extended the clothing and back to school footwear allowance to two- and three-year-olds. We increased the child support payment by €16 for over-12s and €8 for under-12s. We brought forward the reduction to 9% in the VAT rate and extended it to the end of 2030, saving people €100 a month on utility bills, at a cost of €254 million. We brought forward a number of changes to the social welfare code. We brought the fuel allowance to help 46,000 additional families. At this point, one in four households gets the fuel allowance. We have increased the allowance by 15%, which is well above the rate of inflation. Again, we are looking to prevent poverty and fuel poverty over these critical periods.”
“I thank the Deputy for his question on a very important area which is very much to the fore in the mindset of the Government, namely, the cost of living and how vulnerable families grapple with the weekly shop and the price of groceries. In the context of budget 2026, I want to outline how we as a Government are supporting people who are the most vulnerable. We came forward in budget 2026 with a €9.4 billion package. This is about 3.25 times the size of the pre-pandemic package. In terms of wages, if we look at the CSO data, which is the gold standard, it shows a 45% increase in weekly wages since 2015. The average wage is over €1,000 a week. All 13 sectors of our economy are growing evenly. Critically, regarding real wage growth, we are outpacing the rate of inflation.”
“People are fully correct and entitled to seek clarifications from the NSSO, which has made a series of errors in this regard over a number of years. People are entitled to seek clarifications right across the public service, and people are doing that. I can absolutely assure the House this will be brought to a conclusion. I can also say that in terms of our budget, we have protected the most vulnerable with a €300 million package to ensure the most vulnerable in our society - our carers and those with disabilities - are protected and, critically, that our lower paid workers are getting an increase that is outpacing the rate of inflation in our economy.”
“-----or anyone who was in receipt and was overpaid or underpaid in relation to a pension deduction for the NSSO. I am making quite clear that all Ministers are engaging with the NSSO, all Ministers will bring this to a conclusion and will ensure-----”
“We have also protected the most vulnerable by reducing the VAT rate on gas and electricity to 9%, which is €100 a month, implementing the free schoolbook scheme and increasing social protection payments by €10, which amounts to €520 for families every single year, as well as making improvements to the hot meals programme. There is also the public service pay agreement, which gives an increase of 17% over the lifetime of the agreement to those who are most vulnerable, in particular, a 3% top-up for incomes under €50,000. That is how the Government is delivering and protecting the most vulnerable. To do that, we need to have a strong engine room, a strong economy, about which Deputy Doherty would know absolutely nothing.”
“The second point I want to robustly challenge is that there is nothing in this budget for workers or those who are most vulnerable in society. We have put forward a €300 million package for people who are vulnerable and to ensure that those who are working on lower incomes are rewarded. We have increased the minimum wage by 40% over the last four years. Deputies will see from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, returns that real growth in wages in our economy has come through over the last number of years, with 13 sectors growing.”
“There are limits on the gross threshold that is deducted every single week, bearing in mind the vulnerable situations that families find themselves in. I have worked with the Department in representing people who, sometimes through no fault of their own, have an overpayment to the Department of Social Protection.”
“The Department of Social Protection does not demand a repayment immediately. It works out payment plans that respect vulnerable citizens throughout the State.”