Mr. Martin Marjoram:

On the question about colleges, we are in something of a hiatus in advance of the creation of the new Department with responsibility for higher education. That means there is a further process involving a different Minister who needs to be engaged. We have had some discussion of some matters concerning the return to higher and further education, but there is definitely a further need for what the Deputy outlined and the committee might address some of that at a future meeting.

With regard to cleaning, I expect there will have to be a new budget and new staff for that because it will be a level of cleaning that has never before been undertaken, for a purpose that had never previously existed. The clarity is not yet there but we fully expect there to be a dedicated and new budget. The same is true for any concerns we have with regard to additional costs falling on hard-pressed families and parents and schools that are already overstretched. This, again, will have to be new money and it is very important in all of this that there is an early commitment.

It goes back to a point made by Deputy Ó Ríordáin. There needs to be an early commitment to providing a package. There is nothing better that money can be spent on than education because it solves so many of our problems. It is not a problem in itself; it is the solution to almost every problem if it is resourced correctly. That is the way to view this. It is a vital stimulus for the entire country. These new challenges have to be faced by new resources and approaches. That is what we are looking to secure and it is the point we will make repeatedly in our engagements.