The day after budget day is always one where we analyse, having slept on the budget. If there are large banana skins, they will have emerged by this stage. Thankfully, there are no banana skins.

There are no bananas.

The budget has done a little for a lot of people. The criticism I have heard is that there was a bit for everyone, but I would like to know what area of the budget people would like to see withdrawn.

Hear, hear.

What supports would they like to remove?

I am amused by why people believe it is necessary to leak the budget and what the purpose of that is, but we probably need a fundamental rethink about the budget process anyway. In the Bundestag in Germany, there is a full debate on the budget for a certain period and all parties and none, including finance committees and so on, get to put their proposals on the table, stress testing and debate take place, and the finance minister, having listened to and engaged, will ultimately give a summation. Essentially, Germany's budget process is an open one. Given the leaking that takes place in Ireland, I suggest that we rethink our process. As opposed to having post-budget debates, the process would involve the Government listening to and taking good ideas from everyone, including its own, talking to officials and economists and doing what was necessary to make the figures work. The Budget Statement would essentially be a summation of the process that had occurred in the months beforehand.

It is important that we note the key points and achievements in this budget. There is a significant recognition of the need to modernise and support childcare. There is a recognition that waiting lists in the health service are at an all-time high, primarily because of the pandemic. Some €200 million is being allocated to address that issue. There is a significant package of supports for disability services. There are measures in respect of fuel poverty and so on.

I thank the Senator, but-----

I will in a minute. I think we need to-----

We need to examine what is positive in the budget. It is a budget that will-----

I thank the Senator for his objective analysis. He can contribute again during statements on the budget.

-----create the building blocks of future budgets.

I thank Senator Conway for his very objective analysis of the budget.

I apologise, as I was at a meeting. I will continue the theme of the budget. We should recognise that this is the first post-pandemic budget. We have all come through a difficult 18 months and we are all grateful to everyone who helped us do that. This budget is designed to help those who need help most and tries to improve everyone's quality of life. Most importantly, it is targeted at those who need the State and the Government's support the most, those being, young people and low-income families, in everything from the improvements in and increased funding for health in terms of free GP care for six-year-olds and seven-year-olds, the reduction in prescription thresholds, the extension of the medical card to dental treatment and free contraception for young women, which is something that our party has pushed for and I am delighted to see being delivered, to halving the price of public transport for young people, which is also a good measure. The increases in pensions and welfare payments, including the living alone allowance, the fuel allowance and the working family income supplement, are welcome.

I wish to call out the disingenuous and divisive social media messaging that is being pushed out by one of the Opposition parties. I will only give one example, but it is an important one. That party has been using social media over the past 24 hours to drive division-----

Hear, hear.

-----and put out disinformation. Today, it has its slick social media blasting out on people's phones that there is zero in this budget to support renters in terms of paying their rents, stopping rent increases or improving standards, all of which is a lie.

All of which is a lie. There is €600 million to support renters, €11 million to enforce the rent caps for which we have legislated and €10 million to stop and improve the standards in rental accommodation.

I remind colleagues we will have statements on the budget later.

It is very important this House corrects that false narrative being promoted and pushed by the Opposition. It is dishonest and disingenuous.