Frank Fahey (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

The amendment proposes to remove ministerial discretion in making provision for people with disabilities in the Long Title by deleting the reference to resource availability. Fundamental differences between the Government's position and that of the Opposition were evident during Second Stage. It will not, therefore, come as a surprise that I do not intend to accept the amendment. I wish to retain the Long Title, which adequately describes the intent and purpose of the Bill.

No Bill has ever been passed predicated on resources or on a guarantee regarding resources and the same applies in this case. The fundamental elements of good governance and responsible public expenditure are laid down in the procedures pertaining to the budgetary and Estimate requirements of the Department of Finance and other Departments. It is not practical to suggest that a Bill could be predicated on the resources made available under it.

Senator Terry referred to multiannual funding. The Government agreed a five-year rolling programme of funding and the Minister for Finance devoted more than half of his Budget Statement to the announcement of that programme. It would be ridiculous for a Government to announce a five-year spending programme and not implement it. However, it will be implemented as part of the budgetary and Estimates process. Such a programme is not part of the legislative process whereby the legislation is intended to underpin it.

The Senator is correct that there is nothing to prevent the next Government pursuing a different policy but all parties are agreed substantial additional resources are needed over the next five to ten years to provide services for people with disabilities. All parties also acknowledge that in the mid-1990s when every party spent time in Government, funding increased by only €1 million annually. Fianna Fáil, the Labour Party, Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats and a number of Independent voices were in various Governments.