Brendan Ryan (Dublin North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We are here ahead of the budget which is due in three weeks time. Whatever comes to pass, whether it is a softer budget of €2.5 billion in cuts, a hard budget of €3.1 billion in cuts or somewhere in between, the reality is that there will be adjustments, in particular in the two areas we are discussing today. Certainly, there will be adjustments in social protection. At the moment there is talk about the Minister, Deputy Burton, having to adjust by €440 million. Whether that ends up being the case or whether it is somewhat lower I am unsure, but if it is lower, there will be hardship and adjustments.

I thank both groups for their presentations, which are important contributions to the debate about the budget. I hope that whatever the Minister, Deputy Burton, has to do, she will not hit the priority areas identified by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, namely, child benefit and family income supplement. In speaking to our Ministers ahead of the budget, Labour Party members will be strongly arguing the case the society is making and we have been doing so for the past two or three budgets. Regardless of whether people in the room like it, the heavy work done in terms of adjustments that we inherited has had to be done and this budget was going to be a tough one irrespective. Whether it is €3.1 billion or €2.5 billion in cuts, it will be tough for many people. We will be fighting hard to ensure the priorities of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul are maintained because they are our priorities as well and we share them.

There is talk of the Minister, Deputy Quinn, having to reduce his budget by €100 million on the education side. The reality is that education, social protection and health are the big spending Departments and to achieve the €3.1 billion or €2.5 billion or whatever in cuts, it cannot be done without adjustments in these areas. We must be honest with people that this work has to be done. We wish it did not have to be done but the reality is there will be a good deal of pain for many people. However, I hope that following this budget, things will get a little easier. I thank the witnesses for their contributions. They can rest assured that people in the Labour Party Parliamentary Party will be fighting hard to make it as easy as possible and, one hopes, to protect the priorities of the witnesses as well.