Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

That is precisely what is going on at the moment with Ministers meeting those providers of services. Given the moneys that are being provided - of a total of €1.2 billion, €900 million will go to intellectual disability, which is an awful lot more than when Deputy Gilmore was in office, and some €300 million to those with physical and sensory disability - I am confident that those people who require the services on the front line will obtain them. However, it will require change. Perhaps if Deputy Gilmore were to stand up in the House and explain, as I will, that it is those people who are not in the front line who have to take the efficiencies and not those in the front line, then we have a way of going forward in this situation.

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