Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

We did that a number of years ago and the finality of it will be this September. Every school now has free school meals. These were things that, up to three years ago, were not on the agenda and Sinn Féin ignores that. We have improved the situation regarding carer's allowance.

What we intend to do in the next budget is to mainstream provisions that will help people to deal with what is a high-cost of living, particularly in food prices. That said, inflation is coming down. It is at about 1.6% or 1.7%. We have the third lowest inflation rate in the European Union. We are mid-table in the European Union in respect of food prices, even though prices are still high and very high for beef and various other essential products people have to buy on an ongoing basis. That is acknowledged. It is also important, however, that we invest in people's future. We are going to transform infrastructure in this country because people need it with the population growth we have, which has been phenomenal in this country over the last two decades. For the first time ever now, we are back to the pre-Famine population on the island of Ireland.

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