Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

In comparing the situation to the past, one needs to take into account that there has been much improvement and we now have special assistants, resource teachers and so on. They alleviate the burden on the classroom teacher.

Changes in the social welfare package amounted to €0.5 billion. The main increases were more than 3%, ahead of the rate of inflation. This amounts to an 8.4% increase in social welfare spending, which allowed the pension to increase by €7 to €230 per week. I also welcome the changes, if modest, in the fuel allowance. The significant improvements made in the past ten years in child benefit and the introduction of the early childhood supplement have, for the vast majority of people, been maintained. There has only been a little trimming at the edges.

I especially welcome the reduced excise on low-alcohol beer and cider. Bulmers cider is very important in my constituency.

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