Mary O'Rourke (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

I met several people. They are fearful the Labour Party and the Fine Gael Party, parties so strangely in alliance now as they were on previous occasions, would perchance get into government, which would not benefit the country.

This was never going to be a pretty budget, nobody ever said it would be. How could it be? It is a budget in which very practical and austere decisions had to be taken. While we were not aware of the decisions taken, we knew this would be an extremely difficult budget. I believe if the current situation continues, future budgets will be even more difficult.

How can anyone on the one hand say we should give everything to everyone thus making everyone happy and on the other hand say we should not upset anyone or any group?

I will speak briefly on the pupil-teacher ratio. An earlier speaker, Deputy Sheehan, stated that 200 primary teachers and 200 secondary teachers would lose their jobs. No permanent teacher in this country will lose his or her job. Teachers may go to another school either within the panel system or at second level on the redeployment system but a permanent teacher——

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