The Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, is most welcome to the House.
Budget 2023 (Public Expenditure and Reform): Statements
I am pleased to have the opportunity to appear before the Seanad to contribute to the debate on budget 2023, which the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform presented to the Dáil just a few hours ago. Budget 2023 is first and foremost a cost-of-living budget. The Government is delivering a budget against an extraordinary backdrop of uncertainty and challenge. We know that many of our people are finding it very difficult to make ends meet, are facing difficult choices in their daily lives and are seeing their household bills rise seemingly by the day. We know that many are genuinely worried about what lies ahead in the months to come.
Budget 2023 sets out a substantial package of measures for the remainder of 2022 and into 2023. That builds on the €3 billion package already delivered over the past 12 months. Today the Minister, Deputy McGrath, has announced further winter cost-of-living, business and public service support measures totalling €4.4 billion, comprising €1.7 billion to be administered through the tax system and €2.7 billion in spending measures, with €0.3 billion of that amount funded from the contingency reserve. This is in addition to a core budget 2023 package of €6.9 billion: €5.8 billion in expenditure and €1.1 billion in tax measures.
There will be immediate assistance, including electricity credits totalling €600 for all households, to be paid in three instalments of €200. The total cost of this measure is €1.2 billion. In addition to the normal weekly fuel allowance payment, a further payment of €400 will be made before Christmas to recipients of that support. We have also provided for a once-off double-week "cost-of-living support" to all qualifying social protection recipients; an additional lump sum payment of €500 to those in receipt of the working family payment; a double child benefit payment to all qualifying households in November worth €140 per child in addition to the normal monthly payment; a payment of €500 in November to those who qualify for the carer's support grant; and a one-off payment of €500 in November to those who qualify for disability allowance, invalidity pension or the blind pension. The Government has also announced the extension of the 20% reduction in public transport fares and the young adult card discount of 50% on all operators' services to the end of 2023. The total value of the new cost-of-living measures for households is €2.2 billion. This will provide much-needed help to individuals and families.
Taking account of the pressure that rising prices are putting on the delivery of public services, this budget allocates funds across a number of different areas in order to ensure continuity of service delivery. This includes a further €100 million to be made available to schools this year to assist with energy and other costs and with school transport, with an additional €10 million provided for further and higher education institutions. Some €60 million is allocated to local authorities and €110 million to bodies funded by the Department of Health, including nursing homes and section 39 organisations. An allocation of €60 million is provided to ease the pressure on not-for-profit and voluntary organisations in the arts sector, sports clubs, the Gaeltacht and the community and voluntary sector.
In addition to the winter cost-of-living initiative measures that the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, announced for the remainder of 2022, the Government is providing a social protection package for 2023 worth €1 billion to support households and families across the country. This will include an increase of €12 per week in social protection payments; an increase in the working family payment threshold by €40 per week; an increase in the fuel allowance means limit from €120 to €200 above the relevant rate of the contributory State pension and, for over-70s specifically, an increase in the weekly fuel allowance means limit to €500 for single people and to €1,000 for couples; and a rise in the qualified child increase for under-12s to €42 per week and for over-12s to €50 per week.
In core expenditure terms, the medium-term budgetary strategy has been modified on a once-off basis for 2023 to allow core public expenditure to grow by 6.3%. Overall, in 2023, the Government is providing €90.4 billion in public expenditure. Some €85.9 billion of that is core expenditure, an increase of €5.8 billion over the figure for 2022. This includes an additional €800 million which will be made available under the national development plan for core capital spending to help in delivering the largest, greenest and most ambitious infrastructure plan in the history of the State.
The Government is also holding €4.5 billion in contingency in 2023 to continue to respond to the aftermath of the pandemic, the repercussions of Brexit and the ramifications of the war in Ukraine.
In order to make childcare more affordable and to improve availability for parents, the Government has announced a reduction of up to 25% in the weekly fee for those availing of the national childcare scheme, costing €121 million, which will put up to €175 a month, or €2,106 a year, back in the pockets of parents next year. Further allocation of €59 million is made to the newly set up core funding model, which will provide for extra hours and enhanced capacity.
The Department of Education is allocated €9.6 billion in 2023, including a capital budget of €860 million for school building projects and funding to prioritise special education, allowing for an additional 686 teachers and 1,194 special needs assistants, SNAs.
The Government is allocating €3.9 billion for the higher education, further education and training, research and innovation sectors in 2023. That funding will support our delivery on the Housing for All and climate action plans by investing in skills through apprenticeships and further education and training, including over 2,000 Skillnet places in sustainable finance, green tech and climate change.
An additional €36 million is allocated to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment supporting investment in areas such as digitalisation and the green economy.
Budget 2023 allocates €23.4 billion for health, including €1.15 billion increase in core current funding. Funding is provided for the recruitment of up to 6,000 additional staff. To tackle waiting lists next year, a further €225 million has been allocated to give an overall package of €443 million.
A record €6.3 billion in Exchequer funding is allocated to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, of which the majority, €3.5 billion, will be for capital investment in housing. We have announced a €99 million increase in funding to the social housing current expenditure programme to support nearly 6,500 new social housing units, through approved housing bodies, AHB, new build delivery and leases, a further €1.7 billion to deliver the social housing new build target of 9,100 homes, and an unprecedented €87 million allocated to the retrofitting of social housing in 2023, demonstrating the State's commitment to help people reduce their energy bills and to ensure that Ireland meets our climate targets.
Budget 2023 also provides record Exchequer capital investment of more than €930 million in our water services in 2023, and significant funding for our heritage programme, particularly including a focus on resourcing our National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The implementation of the national broadband plan has passed 75,000 households, with funding of €217.5 million allocated in 2023, to reach a target of up to 185,000 households by the end of next year. Some €390 million is provided for rural and community development and €11 million for the continued response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis at community level.
As recent developments in global affairs have shown, we need to reduce our dependence on energy imports, particularly from Russia, by becoming more efficient in how we use energy and especially by accelerating the shift to renewable energy in line with our existing climate goals. That is why the Government is providing €850 million in capital investment to the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications in 2023. Some €337 million of this funding will go towards grants for energy efficiency, supporting in excess of 37,000 home energy upgrades. This is the highest funding commitment ever to energy efficiency.
Some €4.3 million is provided to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to support the formal establishment of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, which will be a key enabler in respect of Ireland's ambitions in the offshore renewable energy sector.
As set out in the programme for Government, every additional euro raised in carbon tax will be returned to the people through energy-efficiency upgrades, social protection schemes to protect the most vulnerable and measures to incentivise farming in a more environmentally friendly way. An additional €211 million will be made available in 2023, bringing the total carbon tax revenue available in 2023 for investment to €623 million. Almost half the funds raised by the carbon tax will be invested in improving the energy efficiency of our homes. Carbon tax funding of €81 million will be provided to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in 2023 to fund the new agri-climate rural environment scheme in 2023 as detailed in Ireland's Common Agricultural Policy strategic plan. This will support up to 50,000 farmers who undertake actions that will support improved outcomes on biodiversity, climate, air and water quality. In addition, €2.14 billion is allocated to the Department for 2023, an increase of €283 million on the 2022 allocation. More than €500 million of the allocation will further strengthen the sustainability of Irish agriculture and drive the sectors climate ambition.
Government is allocating €3.5 billion to the Department of Transport. Of this, €2.6 billion is capital funding to transport, representing the highest level of capital investment since 2008. This will help us to progress key transport infrastructural projects, including BusConnects, MetroLink and the DART+ programme. This investment in our transport network, the reductions announced in passenger fares, and the continued roll-out of electric vehicle, EV, grants will greatly assist us in meeting our ambitious climate targets.
To support the tourism, culture, arts, Gaeltacht, sports and media sectors in progressing through the post Covid-19 pandemic recovery phase, budget 2023 provides an additional €45 million in core funding, and temporary funding of €90 million in 2023 to help consolidate their recovery. The Department's overall allocation of more than €1.1 billion includes €130 million to maintain the Arts Council's funding in 2023 and €15 million for Fáilte Ireland initiatives.
I commend the budget to the House and I look forward to engaging with colleagues on these important matters.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach and I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. I commend the Government on its work on budget 2023. As I said earlier on the finance part of it, everything that was done in the budget was done because it was necessary but also because we were able to do it. The resources were there because of a strong economy and because the supports were put in place last year and the year before to protect jobs and provide the linkage between employers and employees with the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, and with everything that was done to keep people in work. The economy and the rate of employment have been maintained and enhanced over the past number of years.
There is a significant windfall in corporation tax, which is welcome. On the other hand, it is somewhat worrying that there is a reliance on it but Ministers are aware of that. That said, they have put some of the resources that accrued this year into a reserve fund, with €2 billion put into this fund this year and €4 billion to be put in next year. That is the prudent thing to do because there is that question mark over the medium- to long-term reliance on corporation tax.
Is buiséad costais mhaireachtála í buiséad 2023 atá dírithe chun cabhrú le daoine agus lena dteaghlaigh, le bearta do na daoine is leochailí agus do na daoine ar an meán atá faoi bhrú. Sa bhuiséad seo tá an Rialtas ag cur níos mó airgid ar ais i bpócaí trí cháin ioncaim a ghearradh agus le híocaíochtaí pinsin agus leasa shóisialaigh a mhéadú do theaghlaigh, do dhaoine faoi mhíchumas agus do chúramóirí. Tá an Rialtas ag cabhrú le daoine agus lena dteaghlaigh leis na costais mhaireachtála sna réimsí mar chúram leanaí, iompar poiblí agus costais a bhaineann le leanbh a chur ar scoil, nó sábháil airgid dá dtithe féin, is é sin dá chéad teach.
Tá an Rialtas ag tacú le gnó trí chabhair le comhlachtaí a gcuid billí fuinnimh a íoc an geimhreadh seo.
Táimid ag cabhrú ó thaobh na gcostas a bhaineann le bheith ag dul ar choláiste trí tháillí a ghearradh agus le deontais na mac léinn a ardú.
Tá pobal níos sábháilte agus níos láidre a thógáil trí níos mó acmhainní a chur ar fáil don Gharda Síochána agus d'Óglaigh na hÉireann a thugann cosaint dúinn.
Is é an tús is fearr chun é sin a chinntiú do gach leanbh ná go mbeidh infheistíocht mhór i gcúram leanaí agus sa luathoideachas.
Lena chois sin, tá €2 billiún freisin á chur ar leataobh i mbliana agus €4 billiún an bhliain seo chugainn i gcúlchiste chun Éire a chosaint sa todhchaí.
Mar a dúirt mé, táimid in ann na rudaí seo a dhéanamh toisc go bhfuil sé d'acmhainn againn de bharr bainistithe cheart ar an ngeilleagar le roinnt blianta anuas. Toisc go bhfuil fás agus fostaíocht láidir againn, táimid in ann barrachas buiséid a chur ar fáil chun soláthar a dhéanamh le pacáiste mór an bhuiséid seo agus ciste fós á choinneáil againn i gcúlchiste. This is the managing of the resources that one has and the leaving of some aside in reserve for difficulties that may or may not arise. Who could have predicted Covid-19 in 2019 or, in 2021, that the following year would see an invasion of Ukraine and the impact that would have on the economy, on gas and oil, and on the rate of inflation? All of these are unknowns and we have to be prepared for the unknown, which is recognised.
I certainly very much welcome the increase in the numbers of teachers, special needs assistants, SNAs, and the number of gardaí in the package of supports that was announced, together with the increased supports in the spending on defence.
Electricity credits, with three payments of €200, or €600 over the period of the scheme, are important because we know that one of the major cost-of-living pressures at the moment is in electricity and we know why that is the case.
Other budget provisions include the €400 lump sum to be made available before Christmas to recipients of the fuel allowance; cost-of-living supports to all qualifying social protection recipients; an increase in pension payments of €12 per week; payment of the Christmas bonus; an additional lump sum payment of €500 to those in receipt of the working family payment; a double child benefit payment in November; a payment of €500 to those who qualify for the carer’s support also in November; and a once-off payment before Christmas to those in receipt of the living alone allowance. There is also a once-off reduction in the student contribution of €1,000 for eligible students in the 2022-23 academic year, a €1,000 increase in the postgraduate fee contribution, and the extension of the 20% public transport fare reduction and youth travel card discount of 50% on all operator services to the end of 2023. There is an increase in working family payment thresholds.
The qualifying income threshold for fuel allowance will increase as will the rate of domiciliary care allowance. These measures are all very welcome and necessary. We are able to do it because we have the necessary resources. Childcare is a cost that many families have. The reduction of up to 25% in the weekly fee for those availing of the national childcare scheme is also to be welcomed.
On health, while I welcome the extension of GP care I am slightly concerned about the pressure this could put on general practitioners. There are communities where GPs are under pressure and certain communities where there are no GPs at the moment. We certainly have to be able to engage with the medical colleges to ensure we have that throughput of doctors and that they have the support to establish practices in areas as well. The removal of hospital in-patient charges for public patients is welcome also.
On education, buying school books can add pressure for families. From my own days in school, too often books were updated with minor changes and families had the cost of all that. It is probably more prevalent now. We need to look at that practice. The cost will now be absorbed by the State but is it the right thing that this is happening? Funding was announced for 4,800 additional apprenticeship places and 4,000 registrations under the Housing for All and climate action plans. That is welcome. There is great demand and opportunity in the whole retrofitting area. I know there is engagement and places are being provided in the technological universities, TUs.
I mentioned the energy credit for households and refer now to the supports for energy for businesses, which are most important as well. If the businesses are not able to survive, that would have a knock-on impact on job retention. Certainly the supports that have been announced for mid-size and larger companies are significant. The Tánaiste, Deputy Varadkar has done a lot of work on that. The temporary business support scheme acknowledges the impact of high energy costs on businesses. It is welcome. I acknowledge the work of all in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in the forming of the budget today.
The Minister of State is very welcome. I will try not to repeat points I made in my first speech with the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath. There are some points in the budget that I do welcome. The decision to cut student fees by €1,000 is very welcome. I do find it bizarre that the Government is going to put that back up by €500 the following year. Perhaps that is something the Government should reflect on. Hard-pressed parents might not tolerate it, having seen their fees reduced by €1,000 this year because of the cost-of-living crisis, if it reverts to just a €500 cut the following year. That seems to be what the Minister said today. If I have misunderstood, the Minister of State might please come back to me. It seems a strange way to proceed. Sinn Féin's position is that we believe fees should be abolished over a number of years. We believe education is a right and not a privilege. I would be interested in the Minister of State's comments on that point.
The provision in respect of primary school books is very welcome. It is something we have said for years in here. I recall the days when Fergus Finlay was in Barnardos and constantly made this point about how we can make a real difference for families by taking out the cost of returning to school each year. It is a welcome measure and I acknowledge that. A double payment of child benefit is something Sinn Féin has called for as well. We are glad to see it in the budget.
The key point, which I will reiterate because it is so important, is about giving families certainty. That is our difficulty in respect of the Government's decision on these individual energy credits, the €200 payments. I understand people will welcome them. The difficulty is that we know prices will continue to go up and that energy providers are really profit-gouging in some cases. That has not been said but we know it is the case. I would have every expectation that the €600 credit, provided in three €200 tranches, will be snaffled up in price rises. That is why we would prefer to see the energy price cap. I did say in my earlier speech that there are no simple solutions here. There are flaws whichever way we go about this. The energy price cap would make the difference in terms of giving families certainty. I do not think families are going to be switching on the heating this evening on the basis of today's budget, although it is quite chilly outside. They do not know what they are facing. Our price cap would have given them that certainty.
I want to check one thing which the Minister of State might confirm for me. As far as I can see, there does not seem to be one single additional acute bed delivered today in the budget. The Minister of State might let me know if I am right. I want to be fair to him but I do not see it there. On the situation in housing, I have to be frank. The Government is failing on housing. The Government's own targets are not going to be met this year of 12,600 units in social and affordable housing. It is going to be way off that from what I can see. We believe there should be 20,000 social and affordable houses built. In our budget costed by the Department of Finance, we have shown how that can be done. The homelessness figures are shocking. I reiterate that homelessness has gone up by 25% since April of last year. Child homelessness is up by 43% since April of last year. That is the record of this Government. It is clearly failing in housing. We need to see real action and I do not see it.
I am thinking particularly of the people I know in Limerick who still have adult children living with them at home at the moment, which is quite an unnatural state of being. They are living at home because they cannot afford the rents in Limerick. There are shocking rents of €1,200 or €1,400. I made the point earlier that rent increases in Limerick over this year have been €1,800. The idea of a renter's tax credit was first introduced by us. Our credit would certainly be a lot more than €500. It would be one month's rent. The key point is that we would freeze rents. If we do not freeze rents, we will end up with rent hikes continuing. I know of landlords who will be very quick to snaffle up that €500, unfortunately. The key issue in terms of affordability of renting has not been addressed in this budget. I asked the Minister who was here before the Minister of State to tell us where they came up with the figure of €500. It certainly does not relate to rent in an affordable way. As a colleague of mine said here, it is effectively about one week's rent out of 52. Is that the only difference the Government is going to make for renters who are getting hammered to the point where they cannot save money to buy homes of their own? It is a fundamental problem and it is now a generational problem. There is a whole generation of young people in their twenties who frankly have no hope of owning a home unless we see a drastic change in policy. The drastic change in policy we are calling for is the very one the Government's own think tank, the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, called for, namely a doubling of investment in housing. The ESRI looked at the Government's housing programme and said the Government could double the figures, the State coffers would allow it to do so and it should be done. The Government has not done so and it is causing significant distress in terms of homelessness but also in terms of a lack of hope.
One of the things that concerns me about this budget is that I do not think there is enough in it to stop many of the young people I am talking to from continuing on in their decision to emigrate. That is now another factor that has come back into play in our country, ironically not because of lack of work, which was normally the reason people would leave, but because they cannot afford to actually live in this country. On my way to the protest on Saturday I met a young teacher in Limerick who came on the bus with me up to Dublin. She explained how she had left Dublin the year before, giving up a teaching job in Dublin, because she could not afford the rent there. She is now living with her parents and plans to go to Dubai in a year's time. That is what is happening to our best and brightest young people. If the Minister of State can point to the measures in this budget that are going to help that person, he might please do so, but I beg him not to suggest the €500 tax credit is going to be part of that because it is next to worthless, frankly.
I would be interested to hear the Minister of State's views on the tax changes. We make no apologies for the fact that we would have focused tax cuts around universal social charge, USC, and low and middle-income workers. The bulk of the tax changes in today's budget benefit just one out of four workers in the State.
I will cite again the example I gave earlier, because the previous Minister of State did not acknowledge it. Someone earning €135,000 per year will benefit to the tune of €830 in tax reliefs whereas someone earning €36,000 per year will benefit by just €190. That is just grossly unequal. It is not what will benefit our nurses, teachers and private sector workers on €36,000. The Government has spent over €1 billion on tax measures that will benefit mainly just one in four of our workers. Overall, this package is not one that delivers for people. As I said, the shine is coming off this budget very quickly.
I have a last point, on which I will be interested in hearing the Minister of State's comments. The only thing the Government has done for people who rely on home heating oil is increase the cost. One in three people in this country relies on home heating oil, yet the Government has effectively put the price up. How are those people supposed to manage? Why have there not been more measures for them, such as that suggested by Sinn Féin, namely, a focused retrofit scheme for people who use solid fuel? More could have been done in this regard today. It is another budget of missed opportunities.
I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber on this important day. I welcome my friends from Newbridge in the Visitors Gallery.
As we know, a budget is more than just a series of numbers on a page; it is an embodiment of all our values. Budget 2023 is a very clear commitment to the Government's values and those of my party, Fianna Fáil, on whose behalf I am speaking. Those values concern an Ireland for all and equal opportunities. This budget is certainly very fair and progressive and it responds to our current challenges. There are progressive supports for households, businesses and schools. The budget also supports families with childcare costs, students and those who face school costs. We cannot forget the help-to-buy scheme extension, which is important to those who want to buy their own homes.
Budget 2023 was unveiled today against a backdrop of considerable international unrest. There is no doubt that this is one of the most crucial budgets of this Oireachtas term. Many households and businesses that were very well served by the Government during the Covid pandemic face a winter of further challenge and, of course, adversity. However, I am thankful that the Government has again shown its commitment to workers, families and small businesses. No budget could ever absorb every cost, but today's budget strikes a really good balance between what is possible within our financial powers and protecting our longer term financial stability.
I commend the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, on putting his very clear stamp on this budget and ensuring it will intervene in a timely manner to assist households with the escalating cost of living. We have seen a huge rise in what is available for the winter cost-of-living package in addition to business and public service support measures, totalling €4.4 billion. That is incredibly significant.
The electricity credits, totalling €600 for all households, will be paid in three instalments of €200, one before Christmas and two early in 2023. This will certainly help every single household. It will make a tangible difference in paying electricity bills and help support families and households through the winter ahead. We know it is a tried and tested measure that can be implemented, and we know it will make a huge difference. In addition, the €500 tax credit per renter is an exceedingly positive measure. I have already spoken today to renters from south Kildare who are delighted to see action to help alleviate the pressures they are under.
With regard to childcare, I was very pleased to see the funding to support a reduction of up to 25% in the weekly fee applying to those availing of the national childcare scheme. This comes at a significant cost of €121 million, but it is an important measure. It will put up to €175 per month, or €2,106 per year, back in the pockets of parents next year.
The allocation of €59 million to the recently established core funding model will provide for extra hours and enhanced capacity. Again, this is very significant. It will be payable in November.
As education spokesperson for Fianna Fáil, I have been heavily involved in the pre-budget process and have worked closely with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, and her senior team to help devise budget 2023 and determine what it will mean in terms of education supports. I am pleased that we have been able to deliver so much in one year's budget to support parents, families, students and the whole school community. A key issue for me was the roll-out of free school books for primary students, with over €50 million in funding provided. We will see an additional 370 teachers put in place to reduce the primary staffing schedule by one point to 23:1, the lowest ever level. This is the third successive reduction since the Government was formed. It is without precedent and something I have been lobbying hard for since my election to the Oireachtas in 2016.
The supports being put in place for special education are very significant. An additional 686 special education teachers will be put in place to help support pupils with additional needs across special classes, special schools and mainstream settings. There will also be an additional 1,194 special needs assistants. How we treat and support vulnerable students is a crucial aspect of our education system. There has been a huge step in the right direction. This is just a flavour of what we are doing in education, but it is very important.
As a proud Kildare woman and friend of and advocate for our local Defence Forces personnel and their families, I am pleased to see the increase of €67 million over the corresponding 2022 budget allocation. This provides a financial platform for the defence sector to initiate the required transformation, as recommended by the Commission on the Defence Forces. It is a long time coming but it is worth it now that we are here. It will assist in bringing our defence capabilities closer to European norms while also ensuring that proper pay and allowances are given to our Defence Forces. The defence group pay and pensions budget has increased to €823 million and is important, including in meeting the pay and allowance costs of civilian employees.
From a housing perspective, I acknowledge the continued dedication of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, in his housing brief. The retention of the help-to-buy scheme, which has already supported more than 32,000 buyers with the deposit for their homes, is a significant measure to support buyers in what remains a very expensive market. We have seen €250 million for lending under the local authority home loan scheme, under which over €471 million has been loaned since February 2018, helping many households to achieve house ownership. This is a scheme in which many who attend my clinics in Newbridge have a great interest. It is one that will help them to get on the property ladder.
I commend the supports that have been put in place for higher education students. If they have paid student fees already, they will get €1,000 back this year, and will have a minimum reduction of €500 next year. I refer to improvements to the SUSI grant plus the double payment in November.
The extension of the 50% and 20% reductions on public transport is significant. The 50% reduction has been extended to 16-, 17- and 18-year-olds and also mature students in full-time education.
Let me mention some of the measures put in place for women's health. The extension of free contraception for women up to the age of 30 is very welcome. That there is funding for the very first time for IVF in this State is really important. This is something on which my colleague, Senator Ardagh, and I had been working very hard.
As chairperson of the all-party Oireachtas group on dementia, I can say that the extra €2.1 million to roll out day services for people with dementia and the ring-fencing of 15% of home care hours for people with dementia are very important measures.
Living in safe and secure homes is something that we all want. Therefore, the addition of 1,000 new Garda recruits will help.
In conclusion, I commend the tireless work of this Government in providing a very comprehensive, fair and progressive package to tackle an unprecedented crisis. This budget will support the people of Ireland and is a huge step towards delivering an Ireland for all.
Can I share half of my time with my colleague, Senator Flynn?
Is that agreed? Agreed.
I welcome the Minister of State to the House.
Budget day is a very busy day of drama and pageantry, when Ministers are congratulated and denounced in equal measure. All of the drama and pageantry can feel very far removed from the people most directly impacted by the decisions made in this House. The people whose voices we most need to hear are those who experience deprivation and want. They are not part of our public discourse and at times like this I feel acutely aware of their absence.
Budgets are moral documents that illustrate what we do and do not value. An omission can say just as much as what is included. Does budget 2023 reflect the values of our Republic? There are many issues of concern in this budget. My colleague Senator Ruane covered many of these issues when she spoke eloquently during the earlier debate. I will focus on the single issue of mental health which, as members will know, is very close to my heart. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, cares deeply about these issues. I have worked with her on many different mental health issues. I commend her on the €72.8 million commitment in the budget. She has fought hard for the funding and I am certain that it will make a profound difference in the lives of vulnerable people. Mental health issues affect us all but not equally. We are making several steps forward in this area but we must ensure the groups in our society who experience the most acute suffering, including asylum seekers in direct provision, people in prisons and Travellers, get the mental healthcare they need. Senator Flynn will speak about Travellers in a few minutes. People who are on the margins of society have been failed by the State and we owe them a duty of care.
I have congratulated the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, on her role in securing mental health funding. I congratulate the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, for the €32.2 million in funding for women’s health. As we all know, Irish women have been let down by the State and the healthcare system for decades. We are still dealing with the fallout from many of these failures. I welcome the new funding, which suggests we are entering a new and more enlightened era. However, I will flag an issue that has been raised by Mental Health Reform and other organisations. I refer to the lack of a specialised perinatal mental healthcare programme. At present, when new mothers require inpatient treatment for perinatal mental health issues, they are treated as regular inpatients and separated from their babies, which is a truly heartbreaking scenario. We need supports that care for women who suffer perinatal mental health illness to be provided in a way that supports their bond with their newborn children.
I have made mental health issues a key part of my work in this Chamber. Even before I became a Member of this House, I was very dedicated to the cause. I left school at a very young age, but I went back to college to train as a therapist in order to give back and do something more than just music. I find it a privilege to work with people who are impacted by these difficulties. I feel very privileged to have gained the confidence of people who have taken the very brave step to seek help, particularly people in addiction or with mental health difficulties and the family members who live with people with addiction problems. The work is fragile and fraught but it is wonderful to work with people who are trying to step into recovery. It is profoundly difficult work, and the people and organisations who undertake such work deserve support as it would provide certainty and peace of mind for these organisations.
One of the big letdowns of this budget is that so much of what has been offered to community and voluntary groups is one-off core funding, which is worrying. The budget provides €110 million for section 39 providers, €60 million for community groups and €7 million for groups working with addiction, mental health, Travellers and refugees. That is a lot of money, and it will go to many worthy causes and do a lot of good, but it does not replace a properly resourced and supported community and voluntary sector. When I perused the pre-budget submissions for the sector, it struck me that organisations repeatedly wrote about the need to move to a multi-year funding model. They seek that because they need to be assured that there will be funding beyond the next calendar year in order for them to plan for the future and expand the number of staff to deal with increasing demand. Many community organisations are operating close to the edge of closure. In the scramble to be included in this funding, I am sure some organisations will scrape by but others will not.
In 2009, I founded the RISE Foundation to provide counselling and support to people with a loved one who struggle with addiction. Organisations like mine that serve vulnerable segments of society are really struggling. These people are more in need than ever before due to the Covid pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. These organisations do not have access to enough funding to sustain their services. The constant struggle for survival takes a huge toll on me and many other people in the sector. We do essential work and fill the gaps in the State’s provision of services yet it always feels like we are an afterthought. It is difficult to struggle on when the future is uncertain and we need a more farsighted vision.
I have only two minutes in which to bring a matter to the attention of the Minister of State. Not all people from vulnerable communities have availed of the €200 electricity credit that was promised in last year's budget and was meant to relieve families. Again, the most vulnerable in society who share one connection happen to be members of the Traveller community. Twenty-two families share six meter point reference numbers, or MPRNs, in Sligo. Nine families at another site share a single MPRN and therefore received just €22 each in respect of their electricity costs, even though the payment is meant to be €200 per family. The National Traveller Money Advice & Budgeting Service has written to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, seeking a meeting to resolve the issue. We were told that the local authority in Cork paid €200 out of the Traveller accommodation budget. While I welcome that, it should not be the case. We need Traveller accommodation money specifically for Traveller accommodation. When the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, said that he was going to spend money on Traveller accommodation before Christmas, we did not understand that it was going to be given for electricity. When we wrote to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, his reply told us to deal with the local authorities or the Residential Tenancies Board. Basically, when one lives on a halting site one cannot deal with these organisations. How can we reassure people that this will not happen with the next three electricity credits? The Government must protect the most vulnerable. The issue I have raised does not only concern members of the Traveller community but anybody who shares electricity. I would like to hear feedback on that from the Minister of State.
I wish to share time with Senator Lombard.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to discuss the budget, which I will address along with other issues mentioned by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
I welcome the social welfare increases, one-off payments and lump sums. I welcome the fact that people over the age of 70 will now receive the fuel allowance because many of them did not qualify for it for quite a while. The expansion of the scheme is welcome, particularly now because a substantial number of citizens need the allowance to cope with the rising costs of fuel.
I welcome the cutting of the cost of childcare for families, reducing fees by 25% for those under the national childcare scheme, which will put up to €175 per month, or €2,160 a year, back into the pockets of parents in 2023.
I know there will also be more support services for crèches and increased salaries for staff. This is very welcome because many of the staff in the childcare scheme are at the lower end of the scale. There are extra places and more hours, which is welcome. The sum of €59 million extra will help childcare providers to provide those extra places.
The total health budget will be €23.4 billion, with free GP care for more than 400,000 additional people, inpatient hospital charges being abolished and investment in women's health, which we are all very concerned about. A measure that is most welcome is free contraception for those aged 16 to 30. There is also, for the first time, access to IVF treatment. There are to be 6,000 new health staff, who cannot come fast enough as there has been difficulty around trying to get staff, as well as €440 million to tackle waiting lists in 2023. Most importantly, 650 new acute and community beds will be added in 2023. The €150 million for older persons and €58 million for mental health are also welcome. Having gone through Covid, mental health is something that is top of all of our minds.
Another point is the 1,000 extra gardaí. When the recruitment of gardaí stopped, it was detrimental. It is good to see the Minister is able to bring 1,000 extra gardaí into Templemore again in the coming year.
I welcome the free books scheme and the funding towards SUSI and people going back to study PhDs. I compliment the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, on all the work she has done around special needs and special schools. I am involved in a special school and I have to say there is now more funding available than ever. I will hand over to my colleague.
I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. I acknowledge the commitment by the Government to the agricultural community in the last few hours. The budget has been very fair and honourable towards them, particularly when it comes to the energy crisis they are suffering. That acknowledgement is greatly welcomed by the farming community.
I acknowledge in particular the commitment to primary schools and to the free books scheme, which is a significant development and an important budget measure. As a parent of four who were in primary school last year, I know the weight of schoolbags is a significant issue for many kids. At some stage, we might look at the digital model which happens with another sector of society. Taking all of these school books to school is illogical in many ways. Maybe we could use the scheme to think outside the box.
There is a third issue the Minister of State might clarify in his own time, and I appreciate there are a lot of issues in the budget that need clarification. That issue is the €500 for renters. I have had several queries to my office already from people who are sharing a house about how that model is going to work. I do not have the answer for them so the Minister of State might be able to provide us with that answer. It is a form of accommodation used by many people who rent a room and share the bill but they are not sure who has the tenancy and how it operates. The Minister of State might come back to us regarding how this will benefit that section, including those on the rent-a-room scheme.
I am delighted to welcome the Minister of State. As I discussed with the Cathaoirleach, I shared my time earlier with Senator O'Loughlin.
I commend this very balanced budget. Several things have been pointed out by Senators. The funding towards childcare is a very prudent and forward step and is something I have talked about on numerous occasions in the House. To follow on from that, Senator Lombard mentioned the grants for college fees and also the free books scheme for schools. I believe these are three very prudent moves in regard to education in particular, and they take in all cohorts of education. I want to recognise the work that is being done in that regard.
With regard to small and larger businesses, the 40% reduction in the cost of power for business up to a cap of €10,000 is a very prudent move and it will certainly keep the lights on in many small businesses, for want of a better phrase.
I will not delay the House. I appreciate the earlier latitude from the Cathaoirleach with regard to time.
I almost missed my speaking slot because I was in my office fielding phone calls, text messages and emails from very happy people today. It was an excellent budget. There is a lot in it and we are all still going through what is in it. The really big headline measures that have jumped out for me are the IVF funding and the contraception scheme being extended, which are revolutionary steps forward.
We were laggards in Europe with regard to IVF funding. This is excellent news and gives families and couples hope during a very bleak stage. It is a very private matter to talk about but we have had Members of this House talk about their own IVF struggles and beyond. Those conversations that we have had in recent years have helped to move this as a political issue and made the Government realise how desperately needed are IVF funding and other supports around infertility. I commend the Minister for Health and the entire Government on moving forward on IVF funding.
The contraception scheme was something I had been campaigning on last year. We were delighted to get it going and there was a promise to roll it out to the other age categories. It is fantastic that, with the scheme just having commenced, we are in a position to roll it out to older age categories. I look forward to further progress in the coming years.
Cariban is a drug that I have spoken about ad nauseam in this House and beyond. I actually took Cariban during my second pregnancy and I know how vital it is for some people who are going through a very difficult pregnancy. It was a complete anomaly. I know there are some very happy campaigners out there today. I have a question which the Minister of State might clarify or he might get somebody in the Department to clarify it. When does the reimbursement begin in regard to Cariban? Is it immediately or is it at a future date? I would appreciate it if he could look into that for me.
With regard to the VAT on hormone replacement therapy, HRT, products, again, this is another part of the puzzle in closing the health inequalities faced by women in this country. It is a very positive step forward, as is the VAT measure on period products. Most period products had no VAT but some had, so this is a welcome step forward. It all goes towards addressing the cost-of-living crisis we are going through. All of these measures I have outlined will help families to get through this very difficult period.
My speaking time is limited but I want to touch on education issues. I believe the free books scheme will be as revolutionary as Donogh O'Malley’s step forward in granting free second level education to the people of Ireland all those years ago. It brings more equality and will eliminate the panic and dread parents feel all through the summer before children return to school. Even from a headspace point of view, it is sometimes very difficult for parents who have a couple of kids in different classes to try to co-ordinate who needs what and fit that in around a busy family life. This will simplify things for families and provide equality and equity when everybody is getting their books from their teacher in school. That is excellent.
The refund of the registration fee has brought huge sighs of relief from many families who just this week and last week sent students to third level education. We in Fianna Fáil have always supported access to all levels of education but to third level especially. There are barriers to entry for many families, especially if students have to leave their home and come to cities like Dublin, Cork or Galway and pay huge sums in accommodation costs.
This is a very welcome break for those families who are working hard. Students who have done the leaving certificate and been very successful are looking to their future and want to add to their knowledge and skill base. This is a boost and a shot in the arm for them.
There is very little to find fault with in the budget. I commend the work of the Government in delivering it. We can face into the winter with a bit more confidence. We know the Government has our back and understands the needs of ordinary people and businesses. My colleague Senator Davitt referred to various business supports and I will not refer back to them. They are very welcome. They will keep the doors of businesses open and will keep people employed.
I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. In terms of the expenditure we are seeing today, this is one of the best budgets we have seen in a long while. It is to manage the cost-of-living crisis. The questions I have are specifically on education. In recent weeks we have had a big call on school transport. More than 6,000 families are waiting. I understand there will be with a review of this through the budget that is being allocated through education. If the Minister of State has further information on it, I would very much appreciate it. Many families are waiting to find out and we are almost into October.
With regard to the GP visit card, we see many initiatives that will bring benefits to many families. We have a challenge in rural areas with the recruitment and retention of GPs, with major issues with regard to work-life balance and a gender imbalance. How will we manage GP recruitment and retention with the extra numbers that will have GP visit cards? If the Minister of State will come back on these two issues, I would appreciate it.
Today has been a very important day. The Government has delivered a rounded package for people that reflects where we are, particularly with regard to the 25% cut in the cost of childcare. It will be good to hear confirmation that it is a starting point and that we will be able to signal this. There is core funding of €121 million. We see the difference the employment regulation order will make to pay and conditions. We still have a big problem when it comes to the supply of childcare and capital funding for it. Any information the Minister of State can give me on this would be great.
We have also seen funding for IVF, which is very important for those going through it. The removal of VAT on HRT and period products is significant. Free contraception has been expanded.
I am interested to know about the community services programme and community centres. I have not come across information on whether the salaries of those participating have been increased. This is something for which they have advocated. The budget is good for families and women. It is also good for communities with regard to the increased number of gardaí and increases in special education.
I congratulate the Minister of State for arguing for the increased budget for the Data Protection Commission. The increased provisions are very good. We are the supervisory authority for many multinational companies and it is very important that we are on our game in the Data Protection Commission.
I love this budget because those with babies in arms have provision for childcare and childcare access. We are promoting equality for children in their development through opportunities in a childcare setting and through primary schoolbooks. I want to give a nod to our colleague Deputy McHugh who started the pilot on schoolbooks. He launched it. I thank him and remember him today because it is very important. For those in school who need an SNA, we already had record levels of SNAs. There will now be an additional 1,190 SNAs, plus an extra 680 special education teachers. This is an excellent development. I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan. She has taken on the need for additional and supported education for all children. Having it as close to home as possible is very important.
Today it was announced, and I have not heard many people refer to it, that we have 4,800 craft apprenticeship places. This is very important. We have focused on what is happening in third level, which is fantastic and there are great supports. I have received many texts supporting it from people who are delighted. The number of apprenticeships is very important for our housing sector. I would love to see apprenticeships extended into childcare. I have been having a conversation with the Minister, Deputy Harris, about how it would be possible. It would certainly assist childcare professionals to grow in what is now a good career. How will the 4,800 places be broken down? It is important that we look at these and value them. They start people at all levels. They are very precious. We desperately need craft apprenticeships. They are crucial for our housing sector, our development sector, our infrastructure and our green economy. There are probably apprenticeships we have not even defined yet that will be in our future. This has been a super budget for the very young through to training and self-sufficiency in employment. We have supports throughout.
I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for being here. Today is significant for our society and economy. We have had an €11 billion cost-of-living budget with a combination of universal and targeted measures to support and put money back into the pockets, wallets and purses of people throughout the country. It is good for families, individuals and business. I recognise and acknowledge the prudence shown by the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, over a number of years, by the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, in recent years and by the former Minister, Michael Noonan, prior to this. I am sure the Minister of State will agree this has ensured the Irish economy has the firepower to be able to tackle the significant challenges we face as a country, not least with regard to energy. I will home in on these measures. It is very important and welcome that we are supporting households across the board with a universal measure of three €200 credits. We are extending the threshold for the fuel allowance from €120 to €200 above the State pension and the limits to €500 per week for a single pensioner and to €1,000 per week for a pensioner couple aged 70 or over. This will result in a significant additional cohort of people being brought into the net of the fuel allowance. We are introducing a €400 payment along with this in November. We are putting money at the heart of supporting people at a time of great need.
We have also put our money where our mouth is in supporting business. We did so throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and we are continuing to do it now with the new €1.2 billion temporary business energy support scheme, which will support businesses with 40% of the cost of the increase in their energy bills. These are welcome measures among many others. I would like to keep talking and go through the other measures but I will hand over to my colleague, Senator Ahearn, to discuss some of them.
There are three measures I want to mention out of the many there are to talk about and welcome. Householders throughout the country know the budget that has been delivered puts money back in people's pockets. It is as simple as that. The three areas I will focus on relate to carers, pensioners and childcare.
Carers will very much welcome the announcement of a direct payment to them of €500. This is to recognise the increased costs family carers face and the work they do. Catherine Cox and the team at Family Carers Ireland have done impressive work on this.
A lot is being done to protect pensioners during the winter period. One of the fears we have is that pensioners may be too scared to put on the heating. We do not want them to be in that position, which is why the budget includes one-off payments for them in November and bonus payments at Christmas. There is particular recognition for pensioners living alone. The living alone lump sum of €200 is a really welcome payment because it recognises paying bills is much harder for a person living along than it is for a couple. I think pensioners will be really happy tonight. They understand budgets because they have seen a lot of them. They know good budgets and bad budgets. This is a good budget for pensioners and they know that.
At the other end of the age spectrum are children. The Government made a commitment two years ago, led by the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, to make radical changes to the cost of childcare. Every parent is going to bed tonight knowing there will be a reduction in the cost of childcare of €1,200 a year, with a promise of a further reduction next year. The people I have spoken to cannot believe the size of the reduction this year, with a promise of a further cut next year. It is a radical step that has been well pushed for by all of us in government. It certainly has been welcomed by the parents to whom I have been speaking in the past few hours.
The Minister of State is welcome to the House on what is a good day overall in light of all the difficult, challenging and worrying days people are facing. We know the costs of electricity and energy are the big-ticket items. What we do not know is what the small, hidden costs will be. These are the costs people face as they go about their daily lives, such as when they go into the supermarket to buy a tin of fruit and discover it is almost double the price it was. I refer to own-label goods, not any fancy brands. The budget had to reflect and respond to that reality and cushion, as best as possible, the ordinary, decent people who have made this country what it is, especially in the winter months and the Christmas period.
With regard to tax breaks, it is long overdue that anybody earning up to €40,000 a year should be on the standard rate of tax. The bands should have been changed years ago. This is a welcome development that will immediately put money into the pockets of people in the squeezed middle. We all know who those people are because they come into our offices all the time. We are fully aware of the challenge they face.
We also know the challenges that face people who are on the fringes. They include pensioners, in particular, who need more heat in their homes, people on welfare, those in receipt of the fuel allowance and so on. The measures that have been announced are significant because of the size of the interventions but also because they will happen between now and Christmas. Pensioners will know there is money coming to fill the oil tank and pay the bills, which is important.
Regarding education, there are thousand of families in this country that include college students who do not qualify for Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grants. College fees have risen incrementally year on year. We now have a situation where €1,000 will be taken off that cost, with a €500 reduction next year. This is welcome, given that the cost of accommodation for students is spiralling.
The provision of free schoolbooks is something that should have happened last year. We were an outlier internationally in this regard, with schools in most countries providing books. The school owns the books but they are provided to students. I have spoken to the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, to ensure there are no unintended consequences to this provision, that Braille books for the blind are also free and there is no cost for Brailling them, and that digitally accessible books will likewise be free. Books are books, irrespective of the format in which they come. I have been given assurance that all books, including the ones to which I referred, will be free.
On healthcare, it is welcome that we are in a situation in which we can now offer free contraceptives to every woman aged under 30. It is only last August that this was offered to women under 25. It is great that we are in a position within a few months to extend the provision to those aged under 30.
Last week, it was announced that hospital charges would be eliminated for everyone aged under 16. We are now in a position where that can be offered to everybody, which is great. Hospital charges do not make sense. They hit those in the squeezed middle and can leave people facing a cost of €80 per day. This measure is welcome and will have an impact.
There is great news on medical cards. GPs are not happy about it, however, and something will have to be done to accommodate, facilitate and support them to deal with the queues they inevitably will see in their practices. The only way to deal with that is to create more places in medicine. It will probably take a few years for that to happen but it must be done. That is an absolute certainty.
I have spoken many times in this House about the cost of public transport. I am delighted the reductions in fares will continue but we need standardisation of prices and I am disappointed there is no reference to that in the budget. The distance from Ennis to Limerick is more or less the same as the distance from Maynooth to Dublin. However, a student or young professional making the first journey to college or work pays 30% to 35% more than a student or young professional making the second journey. That does not make sense in a small country. Fares should be calculated per kilometre and not depend on whether someone is in a rural or urban area. That is a disappointment.
Go raibh maith agat, Senator.
I will conclude now, although another three minutes would be appreciated.
The Senator has it well covered. He has had more than three minutes.
My conclusions are usually long. The budget is very welcome. It is an important step in supporting families that need our support at this time. I commend it to the House.
The Senator got an hour's worth into his contribution.
He got more time than some of us.
I invite the Minister of State to respond.
In part, this budget is a response to the war in Ukraine, as a consequence of which Russia has put us under pressure.
Russia has increased the cost of our imported fuel while it has in some cases simply turned off the supply of gas to Europe in an attempt to put pressure on European citizens, divide us, make people unhappy, polarised, turn against each other, abandon Ukraine and say that maybe we should let Russia have a portion of it or maybe we should walk away. Just as we have taken in nearly 50,000 Ukrainians, many of them into our own homes, we will not walk away from Ukraine. We will not crumble under this obvious pressure.
We think inflation is temporary. That is why many of the measures that we have taken are one-off measures. A large portion of the inflation is due to this artificial reduction in the supply of gas and we do not expect it will last forever. We do not expect Russia will be in Ukraine forever. The Russians seem to be retreating at this stage and taking desperate measures.
We have this package of cost-of-living measures to help people with their bills in November for electricity and gas, etc. They have been heavily targeted towards people who need them most. We worked with the ESRI to make sure that we would reach those people who are most likely to be in energy poverty as a result of increasing bills. However, it is also important that we take measures that last for the long term, and not only that get us through a few months, to prevent us from having to import fossil fuels in the first place. It is for that reason that the amount available for retrofitting will increase from roughly €330 million last year to more than €500 million this year so that we can do more than 37,000 homes.
The cost-of-living measures are temporary. Many of them will last only until the spring but they will be reviewed then. As a number of Senators said, we are in a strong economic position through successful industrial policy and prudence in our previous budgets. There is a war chest to deal with this. We have strong resolve to make it work.
A number of Senators referred to the historic introduction of a large reduction in the childcare costs. This will be worth up to €2,000 per child per year to families. That will have a significant effect. Ireland had the highest childcare costs in Europe up to now and many parents were suffering. It will bring some relief. We also understand that we have to make sure that the childcare places are available and we have to support childcare providers. We have increased core funding significantly this year. We introduced core funding for the first time this month. We have increased the amount available for next year. This is to make sure that the childcare providers can stay in business and do not shut down, and that there is availability. We have also increased the salaries that are available and improved the working conditions for people working in the childcare sector who up to now were reliant on the minimum wage but will now be paid €13 an hour. Those are the three different ways that we are looking at the childcare sector.
Many Senators, to be fair, on both sides of the House, gave credit for the many positive aspects of the budget. There were also questions and I will address some of those. The first, from Senator Gavan, is about the reduction in the registration fee for third-level students by €1,000 this year. Next year the plan in the budget states that we will change it from a universal measure to one that is targeted towards people based on their household income, and for households with an income between €62,000 and €100,000, there will be a reduction of €500 in the registration fee but for those households with an income under €62,000, there will be a reduction of €1,500 in the registration fee, which roughly halves the cost of going to college. This is in addition to the increase in the SUSI grants.
Senator Gavan had a question about home heating oil. The carbon tax increase on such oil will not come in until May of next year and in the meantime, the NORA levy is being temporarily removed, which will reduce the cost of home-heating oil by 2 cent. I understand that the price of oil generally has been moderating or softening over recent months, but it will be watched carefully. We are well aware that gas is available in urban areas but much of rural Ireland is dependent on oil.
There was also the question of how many acute beds are being funded out of the health spending increases. I need to check that with the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. I believe that out of the €1.15 billion extra in health expenditure, 650 acute beds are being funded.
Senator Black raised mental health funding and perinatal mental health and said that it should be provided in a way that preserves the bond with newborn children. That is a point well made. The Senator also expressed support for community organisations and asked how they would manage through this period. Although the temporary business energy support scheme is being introduced, there will be a support scheme for community centres as well, including for those that do not have trading income. There will be some form of supports for all those organisations that are part of the social backbone of our communities.
Senator Flynn asked about the problem with the energy credit scheme last year as it applied to halting sites or in Traveller-specific accommodation where there was one meter point reference number, MPRN, shared between multiple households. I have spoken to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan about this. We have agreed that we will guarantee that there will be the full amount for every Traveller family in the same way that people would be paid if they was living outside of a halting site or Traveller-specific accommodation. We will resolve that. We will do that by working with the local authorities. I take the Senator's point that this should not come out of the Traveller accommodation budget. It should not be taken out of funding that was meant to spent on something else. We will fund it separately and efficiently and we will make sure that Travellers are treated exactly as any other household, as they should be. There have been discussions about that.
A number of Senators referred to the fact that IVF is being funded for the first time, that contraception is being provided free of charge up to the age of 30 and that pregnant women suffering from hyperemesis will be able to get access to a drug, which they had sought for so long and which many of us had been asked to work on their behalf to obtain. Senators can see that women's reproductive rights are being asserted in a pragmatic way and women are being supported in their reproductive choices at whatever stage they are in their life, which is positive.
Senator Lombard asked a practical question about the rent credit, which is worth €500 annually for people who are in the private rented sector. He asked whether it applies to people who are renting a room and what happens if it is a couple. As I understand it, this will be €500 per person who is working. If it is a couple and both are working, they both get the €500 credit. If five people are sharing a house and they are all renting a room, each gets the €500 if each of them is working and they paid €500 tax in the previous year. It is available for 2022 and it will be paid at the end of this year after Christmas and again next year.
Apprenticeship funding was raised by one Senator. Apprenticeship funding is interesting because when we looked at it through the equality budgeting framework - there is a team who do equality budgeting in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform - they noticed that the money for apprenticeships was predominantly going towards men and that did not make any sense because it was merely based on tradition and that with a little work, we could make sure that apprenticeships were equally available to men and women. The Minister, Deputy Harris, has made much progress with apprenticeships. He included them in the CAO scheme. He has done much to promote them. When I talk to people, it is something that they are much more interested in. It is crucial for our green transition that we attract people. We are very short of electricians and other tradespeople to carry out retrofits. We are short of people to service electric vehicles. In our new green economy, many people need to be trained up in those areas and the more that we can do in that area, the better.
I think I have covered most contributions. I am happy over the rest of the week to answer any questions that Senators may have on the budget that they want to put on the expenditure side to me and I will be happy to revert to them.
When is it proposed to sit again?
Tomorrow morning at 10.30 a.m.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar athló ar 8.30 p.m. go dtí 10.30 a.m., Dé Céadaoin, an 28 Meán Fómhair 2022.
The Seanad adjourned at 8.30 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 28 September 2022.