Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is no sign of it coming out of the committee. There is no urgency around it. If this Bill does not meet the Government's standards and is to be rejected here, then that is unfortunate. The challenge, however, is for the Government to bring forward its own legislation to ensure that budgets are fairly analysed and an impact analysis is done. If that type of legislation had been in place initially, the Minister for Education and Skills would not have reversed a decision on resource teachers last week or reversed the DEIS decision. In addition, the Minister for Health would not have reversed disability cuts. If all those impact analyses had been done in the first place, all those sectors in society, including the parents concerned and people with disabilities, would not have had to camp outside the gates of Leinster House to get what is rightfully due to them.

That will be the challenge following the vote to take place after I conclude speaking. When the Government votes down this Bill it should bring forward its own legislation to ensure that budgets are fair and equitable. We should stop discriminating against people based on what they may or may not have.

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