James Geoghegan
Ceist:29. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure will next meet. [48476/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraCabinet Committees
Ceisteanna (29)
Freagraí scríofa
The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure works to drive infrastructure delivery, accountability and value-for-money, including the preparation and now the implementation of the revised National Development Plan.
Membership of the Cabinet Committee comprises the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and for Defence, Minister for Finance, Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment and for Transport, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport.
As set out in the Programme for Government, Government is prioritising the delivery of critical, growth enhancing infrastructure. We have a responsibility to invest in the future, and delivery of modern, sustainable infrastructure is vital for our national competitiveness, fostering regional development, delivering housing and meeting social needs.
In Budget 2026 we announced €19.1 billion in exchequer capital investment, an increase of €2 billion on 2025. This represents the highest annual spend in the history of the state. The revised National Development Plan committed over €275 billion to investment in infrastructure over the coming decade. The Cabinet Committee will oversee both the investment and the reforms required to maximise the efficiency with which it is delivered.
The last meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure took place on Thursday 17 July 2025. The Committee is due to meet again on Monday 3 November.
Questions Nos. 30 to 76, inclusive, resubmitted.
Cabinet Committees
Ceisteanna (77)
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Ceist:77. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Government Co-ordination will next meet. [48848/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Government Co-ordination Committee is scheduled to meet next on Monday, 20 October 2025.
Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements
Ceisteanna (78)
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Ceist:78. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent engagements with the president of the European Commission. [48849/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I engage regularly with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
Most recently I met with her at the informal meeting of the European Council and the meeting of the European Political Community in Copenhagen on 1st and 2nd October. I also engaged with her at the meeting of the European Council in Brussels in June, and have had phone contact with her several times in recent months. We also both participate in meetings of the Coalition of the Willing in support of Ukraine.
I had a formal bilateral meeting with her in Brussels on 8 May when we discussed a range of EU and international issues and I briefed President von der Leyen on the priorities of the Irish government. We also discussed economic competitiveness and trade issues including EU-US trade, simplification, the Savings and Investment Union, Common Agricultural Policy in the post-2027 EU Budget, Ukraine, and the situation in Gaza.
Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements
Ceisteanna (79)
Eoin Hayes
Ceist:79. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on his attendance at the Child Poverty and Well-being Summit. [48906/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office was established in the Department of the Taoiseach in Spring 2023 to prioritise action across government in areas that will have the greatest impact for children and families experiencing poverty. The Programme Office was retained in the Programme for Government to continue the work to break down silos between departments and drive delivery.
Published in August 2023, the Programme Office’s initial Programme Plan, From Poverty to Potential: A Programme Plan for Child Poverty and Well-being 2023-2025, builds on six focus areas which have the potential to bring about significant change for families and children.
These focus areas are:
• Income assistance and joblessness;
• Early learning and childcare;
• Reducing the cost of education;
• Family homelessness;
• Consolidating and integrating family and parental assistance, health and well-being;
• Enhancing participation in culture, arts and sport for children and young people affected by poverty.
The Programme Office’s first Progress Report, Child Poverty and Well-being in Transition: Learning and Adapting to Accelerate Change in Children’s Lives was published in February of this year. Progress updates for the six focus areas were presented, challenges were acknowledged, and emerging lessons and priorities were highlighted.
The impact of the Programme Office was also outlined and the reports highlighted that the Programme Office has strengthened the cross-government focus on addressing child poverty. A copy of the report can be found on gov.ie: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-the-taoiseach/publications/progress-report/
Annual Summit
Last month, I hosted the Programme Office’s annual summit on child poverty and well-being on the 11th of September in the Aviva Stadium. The Summit brought together leaders, policymakers, practitioners, and change-makers from across sectors to explore how we can drive systemic change that delivers results for children. It highlighted collaborative approaches, examined what is working, and surfaced bold ideas that are needed to address the structural barriers that keep children and families in poverty.
I was delighted to welcome Dr Mike Ryan, Deputy Director General of the World Health Organisation as the keynote speaker. Children’s participation was an integral part of the day and included an art exhibition, a specially written musical performance from Jimmy Maguire of Music Generation, and engagement with our Youth Advisory Group on Child Poverty and Well-being.
This year’s Summit will feed directly into the work of the Child Poverty Programme Office as well as helping inform the development of the Office’s second Programme Plan. A summary report on the Summit will be published by the Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office in due course.
Budget 2026
An important strategic initiative of the Programme Office is the cross-government focus on child poverty and well-being in the annual Budget. In advance of each Budget, the Programme Office engages with all relevant Departments to discuss their spending plans in relation to child poverty and well-being and publishes a report following each Budget. For Budget 2026, the Programme Office continued this process of engagement across Government.
In the context of the recently announced child poverty target, Budget 2026 includes a social welfare package of over €320 million for children who experience poverty, this includes:
• Working Family Payment income thresholds for all family sizes to increase by €60 per week from January 2026.
• Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance extended to eligible children aged 2 and 3.
• €5 increase (15%) in the Fuel Allowance from €33 to €38 per week from January 2026.
• The extension, for the first time, of the Working Family Payment as a qualifying scheme for the Fuel Allowance. This measure will be implemented in March 2026, backdated to January 2026.
• Working Family Payment income thresholds for all family sizes to increase by €60 per week from January 2026.
These increases will benefit about 330,000 children whose parents are in receipt of a social welfare payment.
The full range of new and enhanced measures will be captured in the forthcoming Budget report.
Questions Nos. 80 to 87, inclusive, resubmitted.