Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Their weekly rates are unchanged. We found the money to reduce the amount asked for from the Departments of Health and Social Protection by €150 million each. We have protected class sizes for primary schools, special needs and disadvantaged schools, protected household benefits for older people and, as far as possible, the aid we give to the world's poorest people. We have restored the budget for home helps and home care packages. We have reinvested €30 million in 6,000 child care places for low income parents, school meals, tackling child poverty in the most deprived communities and10,000 extra training places for people out of work.

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