Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the increased provision of funding in budget 2025 for housing. The substantial funding that has already been applied by the Government of in excess of €5 billion a year will be increased to more than €6 billion in 2025. The public funds will go to delivering thousands more affordable homes. An additional €1.25 billion has been allocated to the Land Development Agency to deliver affordable homes on public lands using lands previously underutilised. There is an additional €2 billion to deliver more than 10,000 social build homes and, importantly also, there is an extension of the help-to-buy scheme and extra funding for the first home scheme. It is important to recognise that in every week of August alone, these schemes helped more than 650 first-time buyers to be approved for a mortgage. This is 150 first-time buyers every working day in August. These schemes are providing significant help to first-time buyers. It is also welcome, and I am very pleased to see, that renters are being further supported. We introduced the renter's tax credit two years ago. It stands at €750 at present, and with an increase of €250 this year every renter will get a €1,000 renter's tax credit. This is €2,000 a year for a couple if they are renting and €4,000 for a couple renting over the next two years.

Last week I raised in the Seanad an issue I have been raising for many months. This is a request for the Government to fund free HRT. I am delighted to say that in this week's budget for 2025, provision has been made to provide every woman who needs it and wants to avail of it with free HRT from January. This is a very welcome development. Not only is it good for their health but it will be good for their pocket. For many women it can be as much as €1,000 a year.

I want to mention the escalation of war and genocide in the Middle East. It is haunting everyone. It is hard to escape it. I renew our country's plea and call for an immediate ceasefire, release of the hostages and recognition of the independent Palestinian state. I commend our brave soldiers who are performing a service not only for our country but an international service and a peacekeeping service in the most challenging of conditions. Their lives are under threat. They are highly competent and highly trained. We have confidence in them. We are thinking of them and their families at this time. We are working and hoping for a peaceful resolution to the troubles in the Middle East.