Insurance premiums have fallen in the past couple of months, according to the CSO.

That is a welcome development. There were a couple of years where there were increases. We are still 35% lower than we were at the peak. That is a success. The reason we re-established the action plan on insurance reform was that we acknowledged there was more work to be done. We are doing that. The transparency code has been published in a timely and efficient manner. Consumers will see the benefit of that code in their renewals come quarter 3 of this year. The last time the Deputy raised the question with me rega…

The Government is committed to supporting the continued development and expansion of the credit union sector, recognising, as the Deputy does, its important role in providing community-based financial services. A range of legislative and regulatory measures have been delivered and the focus now is on the development of a new five-year strategy for the credit union sector. On 19 April, I formally announced the commencement of the credit union strategy project. This programme for Government commitment will, for the f…

I could not agree more. Certainly, since my appointment, I have been struck, as I go around the country visiting different credit unions, just how in tune they are with their members' needs and how ambitious they are to meet the enhanced needs of the communities they represent. That is why the amended lending regulations, which came in on 30 September last year, offer a huge opportunity to the credit union movement to really compete in the mortgage sector and in the SME lending sector. As I work with the sector to …

The credit union is an extremely trusted financial institution. In fact, for ten years in a row the credit union movement has have been awarded the ranking of the most reputable brand. There are huge opportunities based on the very trust its members have in its service. We have already seen that the amended lending regulations has given credit unions opportunities in both the mortgage space and the SME lending space, and there is an appetite there to exploit the opportunities that exist. I have been very strong in …

I thank Deputy Cahill for raising this matter in the House today. I also acknowledge his advocacy on this issue since his election to Dáil Éireann. Capital acquisitions tax, CAT, is a beneficiary-orientated tax that is payable by the recipient of a gift or inheritance as opposed to the person providing that gift or inheritance. CAT plays an important role in ensuring that we maintain a broad tax base. It raised €854 million in 2024 and approximately €1.1 billion in 2025. For CAT purposes, the relationship between t…

I thank the Deputy. I listened carefully to the points he raised. I am aware that this is an area of concern for many people. Indeed, James Sexton, whom we mentioned earlier, has led a well-documented campaign, End Discrimination in Inheritance Tax. He will be presenting to our parliamentary party tomorrow evening on it, and he has been presenting in the audiovisual room at Leinster House as well. This issue has been raised by many people in this House. As I mentioned before, the Government increased the thresholds…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to introduce, on behalf of the Tánaiste, Second Stage of the National Treasury Management Agency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026. The legislation marks an important step in bringing the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, and the special liquidation of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, IBRC, to a close. It provides for the transfer and consolidation of the remaining activities of both NAMA and the special liquidation of the IBRC within th…

I thank all the Members for their contributions. I will endeavour to reply to all the points that were raised. I will do it just to myself and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle by the looks of things, but the Leas-Cheann Comhairle did contribute. I say that somewhat in jest because I acknowledge that many Deputies are tuned in in their offices and that not everyone can sit in the Dáil for hours at a time. The question "why now?" has been asked a number of times. The reason is that NAMA and the IBRC special liquidators have…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Orders 103 and 188.

I move: That Standing Order 194 is modified in accordance with Standing Order 241(2) to provide that it be an instruction to the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach in relation to the Central Bank (Amendment) Bill 2025, that the Committee has power to make amendments to the Bill which are outside the scope of the existing subject matter of the Bill in order to make provision for: (a) the establishment of a statutory obligation o…

I thank all Deputies who contributed to the debate this evening. I acknowledge patients, survivors and families for whom cancer has impacted their lives. There is not a family in this country that have not been impacted by cancer, my own included. I think of my two siblings who I lost to cancer many years ago. Perhaps that was one of the driving forces that meant I wanted to do something positive when I was in a role to do something that can make a difference to cancer survivors. Deputy Ardagh has been very generou…

I welcome the opportunity to address the House on the action plan for insurance reform 2025-29 and provide an update on progress since its publication in July 2025. The objective of the current reform programme is clear, namely to support an insurance market that is more transparent, competitive and affordable. There are challenging conditions globally that impact on insurance costs locally, yet I am committed to continuing to make a difference to people's insurance premiums. The current plan builds on the progress…

I thank all the Senators for their contributions today. The issues raised reflect the continuing importance of insurance reform for households, businesses, farms, voluntary organisations and community groups. They also reflect the reality that, notwithstanding progress in recent years, insurance remains a matter of significant concern for many people, as well as for the Government. Senator Casey hit the nail on the head when he said we can build on the progress and that reform is not a singular event but is an ongo…

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes that: — the conflict in the Middle East has, once again, exposed the vulnerability of the Irish economy, and Irish society more generally, to imported fossil fuels; — these strategic dependencies have major macroeconomic implications, and the risks to macroeconomic and fiscal stability cannot be ignored; — at a minimum, the large upward shift in energy prices is likely to impart a stagflationary impulse to the glob…

It is jammy when things are going right and when things are going wrong, it is the fault of the Government. That is a very simplistic approach. lf the economy remains strong, we will stand by the programme for Government commitment to make progressive changes to personal income tax rates. We have full employment. I suppose that is jammy and good luck too. From my perspective, as a Minister of State in the Department of Finance, this budget should be about rewarding work. In budget 2026, it was about supporting jobs…

I thank Senators Casey and Ryan for bringing this motion before the House this evening. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the recently published annual progress report and the Government’s response to recent energy price pressures. The annual progress report is a key part of both the annual budgetary cycle and the European fiscal framework. It sets out the Department of Finance’s latest assessment in respect of the economic and fiscal outlook, as well as the risks we face in the years ahead. Before turning to t…

Here is the storm.

I thank Senator Crowe for raising this important issue. It is a matter that has been brought to the attention of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science on a number of occasions over the past few years, but Senator Crowe makes valid points in his contribution. The main financial support available to students is the student grant scheme. The scheme is administered by Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, on behalf of the Department. In order to qualify for a grant, all app…

SUSI processes more than 100,000 grants annually. Some 110,000 students applied for support in this academic year with the Government investing €350 million to support students. A significant number of people are availing of Government support. I think we all agree that the Minister, Deputy Lawless, is engaged with the student unions, the bodies, students and their families, and is continuously looking at ways to challenge the costs of college. He is conscious of that, and we will see positive changes in the upcomi…