Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is clear from this morning's questions that the lead-in to the budget is well and truly under way, and we have maybe three months to go yet. This issue was raised yesterday evening at our parliamentary party meeting. The Deputy made a fair point and I know the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is examining the situation. Obviously, it is in the mix but there are a lot of other issues in the context of the Estimates and there will be bilateral discussions between the Departments and the Ministers for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and Finance.

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