Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I agree with Deputy Kenny's point on educational opportunities for people coming out of employment. One of the difficulties now is that a cap on numbers has been operating in the further education sector for some time. This, combined with the change in the pupil teacher ratio, is causing a reduction in the number of courses being provided. The Government should examine this with regard to getting people back into education. Many people are coming out of employment but the opportunities in the further education sector are restricted because of the cap on numbers.

I want to ask the Taoiseach about the programme for Government because it is now a work of fiction. When it was written it was predicated on a growth rate of 4.5%. Commentators now state the contraction in the economy might be as great as 6% this year. The programme for Government made reference to reducing class sizes but we see them being increased. It also made reference to reducing taxes but they are being increased. This year, for the first time, a formal review of the programme for Government was not published. Normally, a full compendium review is done of the programme but this did not happen this year. I understand each Department put a statement on its website about whatever progress was being made.

We now have the unusual situation where we do not have a programme for Government on which anyone can rely. We do not know what are the Government's intentions on a range of areas. Is it intended to produce a new programme for Government which will set out realistically what the Government intends to do in whatever little time it may have left in office?

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