Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

What we heard from the Minister would be wonderful if we were at a pre-election final rally in the square in Tullamore. That is how entertaining it was. The plan has been called visionary but we must consider what "visionary" means. It means something for the future but the reality is that most of the money allocated to programmes in the plan has been announced previously or has been spent. There is very little additional money for this vision.

The Minister said we have a better health service and education system as a result of the previous plan. He seems to forget the increasing number of people on waiting lists. People now realise the health service is worse despite all the money which has been put into it. This morning I highlighted a case, over which the HSE and the Minister have stood, where someone with cancer was denied a particular treatment recommended by his consultant because it was too expensive. The Minister referred to the Department of Health and Children as Angola and nothing has changed since he was Minister in that Department.

While the Minister referred to education, I remind him that in 2002 his Government declared that no child under nine years of age would be in a class of more than 20 pupils by the time it left office. Yesterday I provided this House with statistics to the effect that 25% of students are in classes of 30 pupils or more, 50% are in classes of between 20 and 29 pupils and 85% are in larger classes than was the case in 2002. While this is the reality, the Minister has asserted he cannot be challenged in this regard. This is what some would consider to be the most wonderful delivery on the part of a Minister for Finance.

The Minister referred to the IDA and the provision of jobs and Members are grateful that Galway city is thriving. Were the Minister elsewhere in the west, he would know that in east Galway, apart from those jobs that have been created privately or through Enterprise Ireland, not a single IDA-supported job has been created.

In the Minister's absence, I acknowledge his partial extension of the pilot scheme for the upper Shannon region to the middle Shannon region, which was of major importance. Regrettably however, the plan in operation in the upper Shannon region was not fully extended. I examined the scheme before entering the Chamber and the area around Portumna and towards Woodford. as well as the other district electoral divisions mentioned are all areas of declining population. In respect of the CLÁR programme, no new funds have been made available for areas of declining population in the west of Ireland, which is sad.

I will conclude by citing a statistic that proves the reality regarding gateways for development and an equal spread of development throughout the State. As of 2006, only 76% of the expenditure forecast in the previous national development plan was spent in the Border, midlands and western region, in contrast to a figure of 108% in the east and south east. Such statistics provide the answer in respect of balanced regional development and any Minister who can state that this plan contains a vision is being revisionary rather than visionary. Such a Minister is going forward while looking backwards at the same time. The statistics show this is not a plan with vision. It is a pre-election restatement of expenditures that have already been made.

The Minister should mention one statistic in particular that is a reflection of his own constituency and should consider the consequences for Birr of the collapse of decentralisation. The Minister shares this constituency with his Minister of State, Deputy Parlon. A total of two people have decided to transfer to Birr and Members should consider the waste of money involved. No accountability was available in this instance.