Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

He also noted that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, had stated it would be held back until after the budgetary and Estimates process had been completed. Let us not try to engage in sleight of hand. The Taoiseach knows that what I am getting at is the deliberate delay in publishing the comprehensive spending review because of the presidential election. The people are facing choices. The last Government published comprehensive spending reviews well in advance of the budget or the publication of any three year plan. It published them in isolation in order that the people would see the spending choices being put before them and to allow for a genuine debate in this House about the priorities and areas that should be protected such as the numbers of special needs assistants and class sizes.

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