Waterford fire: Cabinet to discuss aid for firms affected by Old Jute Factory blaze 

The enterprise minister will also visit firms and a charity affected by devastating blaze at the Tycor Business Centre in the city

Waterford City Fire Service tackling the devastating blaze at Tycor Business Centre, the old Jute Factory, on Sunday. Picture: Noel Browne

Details of a support scheme for those who lost businesses and facilities in a devastating fire in Waterford are to be discussed by Cabinet.

Enterprise minister Peter Burke will bring a memo to Government on Tuesday morning regarding the work he is doing with other departments to provide payments and supports following the fire at the old Jute Factory in the city over the weekend.

Mr Burke will travel to Waterford later on Tuesday where he will meet many of the 35 businesses that occupied 50 units that were affected by the fire as well as the Brothers of Charity facility that cared for roughly 25 intellectually disabled adults.

While more information is needed on the extent of the damage before specific responses are provided, the site is seen by Government as a key zone of employment in Waterford City and a critical hub of enterprise and community.

The clean-up begins at the area around the Old Jute Factory, now the Tycor Business Centre, in the north west of Waterford City. Picture: Joe Evans

Cleanup on the site began on Monday, with Waterford City and County Council appointing a specialist contractor to conduct a precautionary clean-up of the affected external areas and to monitor for asbestos.

Given the extent of the damage, it is expected this work will take some time.

Finance Bill

Meanwhile, Tánaiste Simon Harris is to seek Cabinet approval for the publication of the Finance Bill 2026, which will give full legislative effect to the taxation measures that formed part of the energy support packages announced by the Coalition in March and April.

The changes include the reduction in rate of mineral oil tax on diesel and petrol as well as the temporary increase in the maximum rate of repayment under the diesel rebate scheme from 7.5c per litre to 12c per litre. 

The bill will also give full legal effect to the deferral of the carbon tax from May 1 to October.

Guardian ad litem service

Separately, children's minister Norma Foley is seeking Cabinet approval to make technical amendments to the new guardian ad litem national service.

A guardian ad litem is an independent person appointed by a court to advise the courts on the best interests of the child in public court proceedings.

The new service, which is due to begin from June, is being set up to ensure that every child’s voice is heard, and their best interests are independently presented to the court in care proceedings across Ireland.

There are currently 96 appointed guardians ad litem for 3,000 children in the care of the State. Extensive preparatory work has been undertaken to support the transition from this existing service to the new guardian ad litem national service.

The proposed amendments will not make any change to how the national service is intended to operate but will provide additional legal clarity about the procedures for the appointment of a guardian and the particular situations in which legal representation is offered.

Minister Dara Calleary will update Government on progress on developing the next phase of Ireland’s national rural policy, which will be published in the coming weeks.

Tighter spending controls

Meanwhile, much stricter spending controls to tackle department overruns are to be introduced by Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers.

The removal of departments’ delegated sanction — as well as refusal to support new expenditure measures and the establishment of budgetary oversight groups — are all among a raft of tighter measures which could be imposed on overspending departments.

The enhanced cost controls are contained in a new expenditure escalation process to be outlined by Mr Chambers at Cabinet this morning. 

He is expected to tell Cabinet colleagues that, against the backdrop of profound global economic uncertainty, it is essential that departments adhere to their agreed budgetary allocations.

The new framework follows a decision by Government last month to impose an efficiency levy on all other departments to account for overruns in the Department of Education.

• Elaine Loughlin, Political Editor