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

No, but we have not started the budgetary exercise yet. All I know is that the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, the Department and I must find savings in the order of €44 million, possibly more. A list of interventions, including the pupil-teacher ratio, can be made to produce money. Our task is to quantify the savings so that we can be accurate in assessing what we will get. This is what the Department’s economics unit, represented by my three colleagues who are present, do throughout the year with the finance unit. We must make political decisions and propose them to the Cabinet, as expenditure and revenue changes are a matter for the entire Cabinet.