James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I need clarity on this issue. Appendix 1 of the confidence-and-supply arrangement commits to fully implementing A Vision for Change. The confidence-and-supply arrangement votes are dependent on the full implementation of the policies attached to that document. We agreed to facilitate budgets consistent with the agreed policy principles attached to the document, which runs over the full term of Government or five years. In response to a parliamentary question I tabled during the summer, the Minister stated that the required amount needed to fully implement A Vision for Change is €35.4 million per annum. Will the Minister of State confirm that the full €35 million will be spent in 2017 and that there will not be a repeat of what occurred earlier this year when money was withheld?

See this speech in context