Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was surprised that we were grouping some of the questions. While it is a regular procedure we are normally notified. I checked my e-mail to see whether I received a notification of this grouping schedule.

In respect of my earlier question about the ASTI dispute, I received an e-mail during the course of the discussion here from a teacher from a school in County Laois for which I booked a visit to the Dáil next month. The teacher apologised for not being able to participate due to the industrial action. The teacher is unable to accompany the students so the trip is cancelled. The teacher apologised for any inconvenience caused. I am not the person to whom the teacher needs to apologise, it is the pupils who are losing out. I would ask the Minister and his colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, to do something about that. I have just outlined an example of an impact of this dispute on students. It is remarkable that it came at this time.

I am very concerned about the unprogressive nature of budgets in recent years. The Minister nicely glossed over the report relating to 2009 to 2013. Yes, it is correct because the budgets in 2009, 2010 and 2011 were progressive but the two budgets introduced by this Government were not progressive. The Minister has masked the overall progressive nature of the earlier budgets with the two introduced by the Government which were not progressive. The Government's two budgets do not stand up.

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