Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The acting leader of the Opposition, Senator Leyden, described the budget as aspirational. That is quite true; it is aspirational. We aspired over the past four and half years to secure the recovery on which we have been working in terms of trying to tidy up the mess we inherited. It is to be hoped that will continue to be the aspiration for the next four years.

I refer to items such as the €3 per week extra for old age pensioners, the additional Christmas bonus and the fuel allowance, all of which we will have an opportunity to discuss when we debate the social welfare Bill that will come before the house in the next couple of weeks. People will have ample time to discuss all social welfare issues. I am sure we will have a very constructive debate, as we always do.

Senator Bacik raised a number of matters to which other Members alluded. She referred in particular to temporary Traveller accommodation and the problems that exist in that regard. She noted the strong Government response to those issues yesterday. She also referred to the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill, which will come before the House after the Order of Business. I hope we will have a very constructive debate on a Bill that many Members have sought a debate on over the past number of months. She also referred to child care, as did many other Members, and called for a debate on the issue. We will certainly try to bring the Minister, Deputy Reilly, to the House to discuss the matter. She welcomed the signing of the Istanbul Convention on domestic violence, something which is to be welcomed by all right-thinking people.

Senator Barrett referred to John McHale and the caution expressed by the fiscal council on budget provisions. He welcomed the extra 2,260 new teaching posts, including 600 new resource teachers, but questioned the pupil-teacher ratio figures mentioned in the budget speech. I am sure they will be rectified.

Senator Naughton welcomed the child care provisions, especially the €15 million in new funding for children with disabilities, to which Senator Moran also referred.

Senator White and several other Members extended their sympathies to the families of the deceased in Carrickmines and the family of Garda Anthony Golden. All other Members expressed their sympathies on the Order of Business yesterday.I know that some Members were not here yesterday but have conveyed their sympathies today.

I am surprised that Senator White did not welcome the budgetary provisions on inheritance tax, which she was calling for last week. They have been attended to now by the Minister for Finance, and I thought she would refer to that matter this morning.