Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That is very gallant of him. This echoes the sentiment of my earlier question. The Minister instanced the area of DEIS and said that the Government did not touch those posts for the most disadvantaged schools. However, this was only because it got caught out. The Minister for Education and Skills was heading like a steam train to remove teachers from the most disadvantaged schools in the State and what happened? Parents, teachers and public representatives kicked up an almighty stink about it and the Minister had to back off.

The Minister also spoke about how considerations of gender and risk of poverty are factored into the Government's thinking. However, independent research has reflected that those worst affected by the Government's budgets have been women, in particular women parenting alone. It is for that reason that I again make the point to the Minister that one cannot be random about this, look into one's own heart and come up with one's own conclusions. One needs an objective manner with which one measures these things. That is why equality budgeting and equality assessments, as referred to by Deputy Wallace, are so necessary. That is the only way one can truly talk about being equal, fair, equitable and all the language so beloved of the Minister.

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