Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I have been examining the list of Supplementary Estimates. On Vote 26 under Education and Science it says excesses which occurred in a number of services, including national teachers salaries and grants to VECs, are offset by savings on schools information and communications technology, the second and third level capital and the strategic innovation fund. The programme laid out for IT for schools is not being followed through.

In the Health and Children Estimate, Vote 40, there is the High Court ruling on the Hickey's Pharmacies case, where the Minister for Health and Children was advised that there was another way of making serious savings on drugs and drug repayments. That will cost €32 million in 2008 when a different course of action would have meant that case might not have had to be taken.

There is a range of other matters relevant to justice and the Garda Síochána Vote which need to be discussed regarding getting real value for money as distinct from the statements made by the Government at the outset. On that basis I oppose the Supplementary Estimates going through without debate. They should be debated here as we should be able to address the many issues that arise.

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