Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will explain. In its first year, the Government underspent by €200 million. If it had made the AEOS payments in 2011, there would have been a knock-on effect in every other year. The previous Government is irrelevant to the process, as this Government had the money but gave it back to the Exchequer. Even if the Government allowed the remaining 3,000 applicants into the scheme, the total cost would be approximately €10 million and the budget for AEOS next year would be €20 million less than this year and more than €100 million less than in 2010. Will the Government allow the remaining 3,000 applicants into the AEOS?

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