Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

Now that the Taoiseach has acceded to the Green Party's demand for a review of the programme for Government, will he inform us what form such a review will take and when it will take place? Will the Ryan report allow both parties in the Government to examine the various issues which have arisen? Will the request to reopen the deal with the religious orders, in which taxpayers have ended up paying the bulk of the estimated of €1.2 billion in costs and compensation while the religious orders' contribution is capped at €120 million, be examined? Will the review encompass a procedure where people, guilty of grave crimes against children incarcerated in institutions but who may have been given an indemnity, be brought before the courts and charged? This has been done with some concentration camp guards even though they were at an advanced age.

The programme for Government was posited on average economic growth rate of 4.5% over its expected five years. It also undertook to lower the top rate of tax to 40% and to review upwards tax credits and allowances. All of these have clearly gone by the board. Will the Taoiseach be making a fresh economic statement? Will both parties put forward requests as to what they want from the programme for Government?

It is remarkable that although the Green Party signed up to many positive measures in the programme for Government, it then agreed, for instance, to the withdrawal of medical cards from the over-70s and to the withdrawal of the cervical screening vaccination programme.

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