Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I will first deal with some of the specifics in the revision of the programme for Government, particularly in the area of education, because I want to get clarification on them. I welcome the commitment in the revised programme for Government that there will not be a reintroduction of third level tuition fees in the lifetime of the Government. Is there a commitment that the university and college registration fees will also not be increased? There has been some concern that while there is a commitment not to increase the tuition fees, the registration fees might be increased. Can the Taoiseach clarify the position on the education items in the revised programme for Government? Is it intended that they will be funded out of the education budget or will the funding be found elsewhere?

While there were many specifics in areas such as the ones I mentioned, I was surprised by an absence of specifics in other areas such as the handling of the public finances. Is there agreement, and did part of the discussions involve how the public finances will be dealt with? Is there agreement or, as part of these negotiations, was there discussion, on what adjustments are to be made in respect of the different years in the remaining expected life of the Government? What was the position, or was there any position agreed, in respect of issues such as public sector pay and social welfare payments? While we all read of the specifics there were in areas like education, it is surprising there were no specifics agreed on those areas which I would have expected the two parties in Government would need to address, particularly heading into the budgetary process.

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