Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Bhí mé thuas i mBéal Feirste cúpla oíche ó shin and one of the things I was told was that Sinn Féin had refused school transport for children who wished to attend an all-Irish school. So much for the cúram faoi chúrsaí teanga. I will be very clear with Deputy Adams. It is the responsibility of the Government to make decisions about the budget. The Government has set its task in fulfilling the mandate given to us by the people to sort out the public finances, reduce the deficit to a figure of 8.6% and remove €3.8 billion from the economy next year. This is not easy and every Department is being examined. The Government will make definitive decisions on all these issues in the coming days. I will not answer for the Cabinet now on the final decisions it will make, nor should I. I am aware of the difficulties for all Ministers in cutting back; these things are never easy.

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