Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge that the Estimates are historic, if that is the way the Deputy wants to put it, but I hope he understands that I cannot bring forward Estimates on the basis of decisions that have not yet been made. I must put on the record of the House that the presentation of the Estimates today in no way ties the hands of the next Government or restricts its ability to make any changes in how we spend. I expect that we will have a need for another Estimate, probably at some point in the early autumn. This is not a conversation that is going to go away in terms of the future direction not only of the income supports that we have, which we will be extending next week, but also as Deputy Nash points out in terms of training, activation and getting people back to work in whatever shape or form we can in whatever economy is available to work in. That will be funded not only by the SURE programme but also the higher educational levy, which as the Deputy is well aware is currently in abundance.

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