It is so important that in all discussions here, we choose our language carefully. We must not say anything that might inflame situations or give encouragement to any extreme positions. We must stick at all times to the facts because we remember that we are talking about fellow human beings. The most important thing is that we have open and frank discussions. This will lessen the possibility of false information and extreme positions taking hold. Three years ago, I stated publicly that we should have an open discus…

As the Minister will know, we will take in approximately €17.5 billion in windfall corporation taxes this year. Our budget surplus of €8 billion looks great but without these windfall corporation taxes, our finances would be in deficit to the tune of €8 billion or €9 billion, which is concerning. It is moving in the wrong direction. I know the Minister is aware of this. Would he consider doing something like what is done in Norway, namely ring-fencing these windfall corporation taxes, or a large proportion of them,…

I wish to raise the concerns of some service providers as to whether there are plans to review the core funding programme to ensure that funding reflects the increasing costs faced by childcare providers and if consideration will be given to increasing funding and, where necessary, allowing providers greater flexibility to adjust fees to ensure the continued financial viability and sustainability of services.

I thank the Minister but I want to raise the concern among providers about the fee arrangements under the core funding programme and the disparity between long-established childcare providers and numerous service providers entering the scheme. I welcome what the Minister has outlined - the continuous improvement in funding from €259 million when the programme started in 2022 to an increase of over €480 million from September 2026 - but the current fee arrangements have created unintended inequality between service …

I am happy to see this is progressing. Several providers involved in core funding since 2021 have contacted me and they have experienced a considerable increase in their overheads. I would also like to point out the fee payment thresholds table. Can I ask that County Wicklow be aligned with Dublin? At the moment it is in a mid-east bracket, and strangely for some of the mid-east brackets the upper limit on the threshold is lower than for some of the midlands. There seems to be an anomaly there. Another anomaly, whi…

It may not be the most interesting subject, but it is probably the most important subject in the Minister’s brief, and that is the issue of cost control. What actions are being taken to implement cost control in Departments?

I thank the Minister for his response. We have interacted quite a bit at committee level on the same topic and will continue to do so. The starting point is a detailed, accurate and complete budget. This must be prepared on a zero-waste budgeting model where all costs must be justified and it is not just assumed that last year's budget funding is a given. This, then, must be closely monitored on a month-by-month basis so that cost overruns are discovered early and action is taken. How do we incentivise managers to …

I will list some specific items, but the list is not exhaustive. Regarding funding given to quangos, can we review whether there is overlap between these organisations and if the Government is funding them to do the same things? Can we use the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, to do more work on bid rigging prevention? Do all Departments publish reports on overtime, the cost of agency staff and consultancy costs? This should be the norm. Is there a cost control champion in each Department? Can w…

The 132 bus service is the only bus to Dublin for most of west Wicklow. A year ago, I was told by the National Transport Authority, NTA, that the frequency of the service would be doubling. Nothing has happened since then. How do different Departments and Government bodies talk to one other? The NTA made that announcement without even having a timetable from Bus Éireann. How will communication be improved between Departments and different bodies? Second, the much-needed 199 bus service promised for last September f…

A total of 23 US Presidents have had Irish heritage, with many coming from Northern Ireland. As the Minister of State knows, I floated the idea of an American Presidents trail in the House early last year. I thank the Minister for his great support. I ask the Minister of State for an update on the progress of this project.

I thank the Minister of State. I am glad that progress is being made. The actions announced are the start of what will, hopefully, be a fully-fledged tourist route. I strongly believe that this proposal could be a positive North-South project. It could also be a major attraction for US visitors, especially those with Irish links, and could be comparable to the Wild Atlantic Way. I have pinpointed several key counties to consider with a suggested route. Ultimately, however, this map would benefit all parts of Irelan…

Never has it been so important to highlight the close relationship we have with the United States. This trail would promote our close ties. It is a perfect example of the use of soft power. Soft power is something we have in the context of the US and we need to constantly remind ourselves of this fact, develop it and not take it for granted. It has contributed to the massive investment in this country by the US. The trail would also fit perfectly, as the Minister of State said, with the goals of the shared island u…

I want to raise three topics under tourism. The first is short-term lets. Short-term lets provide the only form of tourist accommodation in many parts of rural Ireland. They bring tourists from all over the world to places that would never otherwise receive tourists. I know because I live in a village in rural west Wicklow and have witnessed what these short-term lets bring. These industries were here before the housing shortage and they will be here long after the housing shortage is gone. They supply accommodatio…

I want to raise the issue of the residential zoned land tax and how it applies to county councils. Councils were originally led to believe that they would not have to pay this tax. In Wicklow in the past year, the council paid €1 million in residential zoned land tax, which impacts on reducing services in County Wicklow. This does not work correctly because it penalises forward-looking councils like Wicklow that purchased land and had lands zoned. They are now being penalised for doing that. I ask that this be revi…

Indexation for capital gains tax relief was abolished in 2003. Will the Minister of State consider reintroducing this indexation, something that, at the moment, is effectively an annual stealth tax because there is no indexation?

I will give a simple example to illustrate this better. If you had €10,000 in savings, you bought shares today and they gained by 20% over the next five years, say, 4% per annum, that would mean they would be worth €12,000 in five years' time. If inflation is a similar rate, which may well happen - 20% over the next five years - your €12,000 in five years is worth the same as €10,000 today because the 20% inflation has wiped out that 20% gain. You have no real gain, in effect, but if you go to sell those shares in …

I understand this is a tall order because the position has not changed since 2002. That is 24 years. It has been an issue every year since then but various finance Ministers have chosen not to act. I would also argue that capital gains tax is different from income tax, gift tax and inheritance tax. In fact, tax credits and bands have increased considerably over the past 20 years. The exception has been capital gains tax, where there has been no indexation whatsoever, unlike all other taxes. When indexation was abol…

I want to raise the issue of rural planning. It is an issue I have raised here previously with the Taoiseach. I am pleased that the guidelines are to be amended and I ask the Taoiseach to support any proposed changes that will help genuine applicants. This is an important component in dealing with the housing challenge. I have worked through four county development plans in Wicklow over 20 years and made many changes but was often restricted due to national guidelines. There are many aspects that are making it diff…

Ireland has benefited enormously from our membership of the European Union. From the huge value of structural funds to the attraction for American multinationals of having an English-speaking base in the EU, Ireland has been transformed for the better by this membership. This has led to a standard of living our grandparents could never have imagined, not only economically but also culturally, socially and educationally. Witness the enormous success of the Erasmus programme. I will refer to the huge positives I have…

I met with the NTA in April 2025 and I was advised that the 132 bus service would double from four to eight buses a day at the end of April 2025. Since then, nothing has happened. I still have no clear explanation as to why. Expanding the bus service is part of the programme for Government. I ask that the current service, the only public transport for most of west Wicklow, be at least reliable. It is regularly cancelled. Second, on the proposed 199 bus from Glendalough to Bray, I was told last autumn that it was pl…