Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I am committed to maintaining the line established in respect of protecting and ring-fencing the education budget against the background of growing population numbers. However, all of this must be predicated on the reality that we are in a disastrous economic situation, the country is effectively in receivership and we are not in control of our financial affairs. We do not know what is coming down the line in terms of the macroeconomic situation in this country or the rest of Europe. With this caveat, I recognise that the outgoing Administration ring-fenced educational expenditure and I hope to be able to hold that line, but I am not in a position to give a categoric assurance, much as I would like to.

See this speech in context