Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Since we came into office, those adjustments have been made automatically.

The composition of this amount reflects the priority attached by the Government to social welfare, health and education. These three areas comprise 77% of the 2007 current expenditure provision. The allocation for social welfare is €15.3 billion, for health it is €14.3 billion and for education it is €7.9 billion.

We make no apology for attaching priority to these areas. The cumulative investment we have made has brought real improvements in the well-being of so many of our citizens. When account is taken of the social welfare increases I am announcing today we will have provided increases since 2002 of 42% in social insurance pensions, 56% in the lowest social welfare rate and 36% in child benefit at a time when the rate of inflation in the same period was 17%.

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