Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is fine. I will try to answer then. Let me take the Deputy as asking his question in good faith. The schools are opening this week. It is positive news. There is a very detailed plan for the reopening of schools and an enormous amount of work has gone on in that regard. I am sure Deputy Smith would agree with me on that aspect.

The winter plan is happening months before it has happened in any other year. I would love to be able to give the finalised plan to the Deputy today. What we are doing is accelerating it by several months. It will be more comprehensive than anything ever deployed in Ireland before. We must get the plan right and, as I am sure Deputy Smith will appreciate, it has to be fully costed because I need to come to the Oireachtas for the money for it.

Turning to what we are looking at from now until Christmas, there will be detail. I am sure it will be appreciated that, just as in the case of Deputy Smith and his colleagues in his party regarding their alternative budget plan, we have to put that detail together and test it. When that is done, I do not believe that it is a lack of leadership to come to the Oireachtas. I believe it is the role of the Oireachtas to interrogate the Government and I look forward to the debate with Deputy Smith and colleagues in the Oireachtas on this issue.

Chairman:I thank Deputy Duncan Smith and the Minister. The next speaker is from the Social Democrats. I call Deputy Shortall.