Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I certainly hope so, but at the end of the day, budgetary decisions are for the whole Government to make. The substantive discussions have not begun and no decisions have yet been made. It is my objective to maintain weekly rates as that makes economic and social sense. It makes sense for the communities affected in the way described by Deputies Aodhán Ó Ríordáin and Aengus Ó Snodaigh. In many of the towns in Deputy Brendan Griffin's county significant numbers of young people are not working. It distresses me to see this, but schemes such as the community employment scheme, Tús and the rural social scheme are vital to maintain the fabric of the local social economy.