Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Every intervention is an attempt to reverse outcomes and to try to steer the market in a particular way. They do not always work to the full extent to which they were designed and on entering such a programme, some participants find it really were not for them. The Senator, as a professional educationalist, will be aware of such matters with regard to people starting a course and then finding it does not necessarily give them what it is they had hoped to get. I am reluctant to state how much money Ireland will get in this regard because while the aspiration is to increase it by a significant amount, it is subject to the overall multi-annual financial frameworks agreement, which is far from clear at present. At the last Council meeting, Prime Minister Cameron indicated his opposition to any increase in the budget and indeed, he seeks to have the budget reduced. Moreover, the House of Commons recently voted to take a position on the budget which will strengthen his hand in negotiations. A four-day meeting has been scheduled for later this month. Recently, the Taoiseach indicated that if a four-day meeting is intended and is being prepared for but if the British position is they intend to veto it anyway - the budget requires unanimity - then there is not much point in going to the meeting in the first instance. We are in an extremely volatile political space. For example, if no agreement is reached on the budget, a default mechanism within the European institutions will take effect whereby the budget as it currently stands will roll over on an annual basis without any adjustment. In other words, the existing budget will roll over. While it is akin to stopping the clock, the money will be provided. While this position is far from satisfactory, it does not mean there would be no money. It is not like Congress closing down activities in the United States but it means there will be no internal variation or alteration to the allocation on a percentage basis of the money. At present, the money for Ireland is approximately €12 million.