Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Project 2040 deals with infrastructure. Grants and schemes are available in the Department anyway. I hope they will be continued but we must remember that we are living in an environment where there is projected to be a deficit of €30 billion this year and €14 billion next year. We must have a bit of realism about what we are going to be able to achieve. I never make a promise that I cannot keep and I will not do that. Obviously, I have been fighting as hard as I can for this sector and will continue to do that for as long as I am in this role, as I hope the next Minister will as well. Every Minister fights for his or her sector. There are competing priorities and, obviously, the overriding one is public health.

I take on board everything the Deputy said. A total of 1.1 million people are availing of social welfare benefits in this country at the moment. I hope that payments continue is all I can say to the Deputy at the moment.

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