Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is wrong about the pupil-teacher ratio, as we did not adjust it and we did maintain it. We have provided the additional teachers to do that. We have also had to deal with the demographic pressure in the education area.

The Deputy asked about the health sector. Deputy Fleming assaulted me for approximately ten days at the end of last year about providing a Supplementary Estimate of €680 million for the Department of Health but he is now demanding more money for the Department. I have provided €650 million into its budget this year and since the beginning of the year I have allocated another €74 million to deal with the issue of pressure in the fair deal scheme and accident and emergency departments. This was to ensure people are treated in the appropriate setting.

With respect to housing, Deputy Fleming will recall that I regarded this as the most important issue in my budget speech last year, and I allocated €2.2 billion to start a social housing programme that had not happened in the entirety of the previous Government's term in office. These are important issues and we are addressing them on the basis of our capacity to do that.

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