Latest news with #CianO'Callaghan
RTÉ News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Govt's NDP is 'fantasy economics', says O'Callaghan
Cian O'Callaghan, Social Democrats deputy leader, responds to the Government's National Development Plan, describing it as vague
RTÉ News
14 hours ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Government's NDP is 'fantasy economics', says O'Callaghan
The Government's National Development Plan is based on a "very optimistic scenario" and "falls into the realm of fantasy economics", Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O'Callaghan has said. Coalition leaders finalised the revised NDP yesterday, which is the Government's scheme to build infrastructure such as roads, rail, electricity connections and sewage schemes over the coming years. The Government said that total spending over the coming five years as part of the plan will be almost €100 billion. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Deputy O'Callaghan said the plan was published "as if there was going to be no major fallout from the tariffs and the potential trade war with the US". Mr O'Callaghan, who is his party's spokesperson on public expenditure and reform, said "it is likely that it will not be possible" for the Government to deliver on all the promises made during the election due to tariffs. He stressed that the Government has published statements and forecasts "based on a 0% tariff rate". Funding for housing in the NDP will be the largest part of the €100bn plan, while the Coalition has promised to cut the rate of VAT for the food service industry. Mr O'Callaghan said that the Government should focus on accommodation and food, adding that his party does agree with targeted support for the hospitality industry. He said investment in infrastructure in Ireland is behind comparable countries, with a 25% lower rate of investment in infrastructure in recent years in Ireland. "So that means, in September when children go back to school, you've got kids in schools with leaking roofs where the rain water comes in and it is captured in buckets," he said. He added that the country is "way behind" in terms of public transport, adding that there are "huge pressures" around housing and healthcare, where he said investment is "absolutely key". Mr O'Callaghan also said there are significant gaps in funding in healthcare, adding that elective hospitals are underfunded in the plan. He also said that Ireland has a "much less productive" construction sector than other countries and described the NDP as "the vaguest document" the Government has ever published.
Irish Independent
17 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
The Irish Independent's View: With budgets, big numbers do nothing but bamboozle
It was dismissed for a lack of detail and coherence. The headline figures like '€200bn set to be spent on infrastructure' are too big to take in. Mathematics may be the language in which God wrote the universe, according to scientists, but back here on Earth, when you put so many zeros after a number you start to lose sight of the figure. The Social Democrats' spokesman on public expenditure, Cian O'Callaghan, said the plan 'seeks to bamboozle with the budget to disguise the paucity of both commitments and detail'. In the end, people just want to know how many new houses will be built, how much money they will be left with in their pockets and how their hard-earned taxes will be spent. Tracking how and where the money goes will be challenging, for most of the €275.4bn earmarked for the period 2026-2035 will go to government departments, rather than projects. Precise detail of how it will be used is scant. Housing, long prioritised as the critical focus of the Coalition, has, unsurprisingly, come out on top – €36bn has been allocated to support building and infrastructure in the sector. The delivery of new homes is supposedly central to the plan, but again, how targets can be met is sketchy. Transport is to get €22.3bn, health €9.3bn, education €7.6bn and climate, environment and energy is next at €5.6bn. The intention is still to address fundamental weakness or shortages that could impede economic development Of course, the NDP is a framework for investment and subject to the vagaries of the economic cycle, but the intention is still to address fundamental weakness or shortages that could impede economic development. As stated, chief among these is housing, but there is not enough substance in the plan to give confidence that dire needs can be satisfied, no matter how big the sums are. The Summer Economic Statement was also published, and the talking point here was the tax break given on Vat to the hospitality industry. Out of a package of €1.5bn in tax cuts, €1bn is to go to the sector, reducing Vat from 13.5pc to 9pc. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said when the Vat commitment was originally made that there would be 'trade-off and consequences'. A giant Donald Trump-sized doubt hovers over all these projections, depending on how his tariffs play out. All governments must make choices. As Franklin D Roosevelt once said, they can and do err. But he quoted Dante, who believed divine justice weighs the sins of the cold-blooded and the sins of the warm-hearted in different scales. The government that lives 'in a spirit of charity' tends to fare better than one 'frozen in the ice of its own indifference'. Only time can reveal how the scales are tipped for the Coalition.
BreakingNews.ie
16-07-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Taoiseach says €3.6m investment in Israel ‘not going to fund any war'
The Taoiseach has said a €3.6 million investment in Israel is 'not going to fund any war' in response to claims Ireland was funding a genocide in Gaza. Micheál Martin said the Government has no role in directing how public money should be invested and said it was not true to say Irish funds invested in Israel meant Ireland was funding a genocide in Gaza. Advertisement Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O'Callaghan said that at the end of 2023, the Irish Strategic Investment Fund (Isif) held €2.62 million in Israeli sovereign debt. By the end of 2024 that had increased to €3.62 million, he told the Dáil during Leaders' Questions. 'This wasn't a mistake or some kind of oversight. Someone made a deliberate decision to increase the level of public money spent on Israeli war bonds, and the Israeli government have not hidden what those bonds are for,' he said. 'These bonds are clearly being used to help finance their genocidal campaign. Taoiseach, this is utterly outrageous.' Advertisement He also said it was 'shameful' that nearly eight million euros of Irish public money was invested, directly or indirectly, in companies operating in occupied territories while the Government is trying to pass a bill banning the trade of goods with Israeli settlements in the same occupied territories. Mr Martin said he would 'follow through' on the issue raised with him on Wednesday, but pushed back against the suggestion that Ireland was funding a genocide. 'I take strong exception to your assertion that the Irish Government is funding genocide. It most certainly is not and never has,' he said. 'You know the Government does not get involved in investment decisions by any fund that is established, you know that is the case.' Advertisement He said Ireland was opposed to the war in Gaza and listed Ireland's position on matters relating to Gaza: that Ireland was the only country that has moved to pass legislation banning goods coming from the illegally occupied Palestinian territories and had pushed for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. He said Ireland had intervened in South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and also sponsored UN resolutions in respect of decisions at the court. Mr O'Callaghan said the Government gives the Isif 'its strategic direction', and should direct it not to invest money in companies that contravene international law in the West Bank. 'There are much better places that our money should be spent: in affordable housing, in healthcare and disability services. Not a cent should be invested in companies operating in occupied Palestinian territories, in the West Bank.' Advertisement Mr Martin said: 'The Isif have confirmed that at the end of 2024 it had held 3.6 million in Israeli sovereign debt. 'That's not going to fund any war, deputy. So let's have a sense of perspective. 'You can argue it's not right, I take that point. 'But you said we funded genocide. That is an outrageous, exaggerated assertion. You lack credibility in putting a point like that, but you do it for political gain only.' Advertisement He said Isif held 5.2 million in Egyptian sovereign debt and 2.3 million in Jordanian sovereign debt, and added: 'I wouldn't approve of some of this either.' He called on Mr O'Callaghan to withdraw the claim that Ireland was funding genocide.
Dublin Live
17-06-2025
- Dublin Live
New adventure park perfect for family days out to open minutes from Dublin
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A brand new adventure park just a stone's throw from Dublin is set to open next month. Zipit Forest Adventures is gearing up to launch its latest site in Djouce, Co Wicklow. The adventure park is all set for its grand opening on Friday, July 18 and, in an exciting offer for early birds, any bookings made in June will get a cheeky 10% discount if it's your first time booking. To mark the occasion, they're rolling out a special introductory discount code FIRST10 for use during June, giving you 10% off on advanced bookings. This marks the newest addition to Ireland's premier high ropes and zipline experience. Ideal for families or a group of mates after a thrilling day out, it caters to all ages and group sizes. Zipit already boasts locations in Tibradden Wood, Co. Dublin, Farran Forest Park, Co. Cork, and Lough Key Forest Park, Co. Roscommon. Crafted by Funchal, one of Europe's top adventure park builders, the company promises the same heart-racing activities that enthusiasts adore, plus a fresh "snappier, pole-powered" experience suitable for little adventurers as young as three. And it's conveniently located less than an hour's drive from Dublin City Centre, reachable via the N11 or the picturesque Sally Gap route. Situated on what was once a golf course fairway at the edge of Djouce Woods, it offers expansive skies and unspoiled views of the countryside. Cian O'Callaghan, Head of Sales and Marketing at Cool Running Events, said: "We're incredibly excited to launch our newest course in Djouce. "This area of Wicklow offers a stunning backdrop for outdoor adventure, and we've created a course that blends excitement, challenge and fun in a totally new way. This course is Zipit's first that's accessible to kids as young as three, and we can't wait to see the excitement on the younger adventurers' faces as they take part in Ireland's newest adventure course." Tickets for Zipit Djouce are available for advance booking at Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
