Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

The reality, sad and all as it may be, is that we have to reduce current expenditure in the education sector in the forthcoming fiscal year. The thrust of my reply is that if we were to attempt to implement in full the balance of what is required under the EPSEN Act - instead of reducing expenditure by a certain amount, which will be tough when the issue is debated before Christmas - we would add an additional mountain of approximately €235 million, according to the NCSE, or something closer to €300 million, according to my Department. It is simply not possible to do it. We will look at other ways of trying to address, with limited resources, some of the more acute components relating to people with special needs. I would be misleading the House if I were to say we could do it.

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