Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The economic crisis had a profound impact on the public finances. The fiscal adjustment implemented in order to exit the EU-IMF programme of support and return sustainability to the public finances required significant tax increases and expenditure reductions. We all know the figures in the House but they are very stark. Gross voted expenditure was reduced from its peak of €63 billion in 2009 to €54 billion last year. In implementing expenditure reductions, the Government's priority has been to ensure that a targeted approach was adopted in order to protect key public services and social supports to the greatest extent possible.

Budget 2015 marked a turning point in our recovery when expenditure reductions were no longer required to meet our fiscal targets and we were in a position to begin a modest improvement in front-line services. Additional funding in the education sector last year will go towards providing 900 new classroom teachers, 480 new resource teachers and 220 new special needs assistants and so on. Last September this Government oversaw the first recruitment of new gardaí since 2009. To date, 300 new recruits have entered the Garda College, with a further 250 new gardaí to be recruited this year.

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