Dan Boyle (Green Party)

On the call for a special debate on social partnership already made by several Members today, I agree that such a debate must happen and that it should help to inform the process. In particular, I accept the need for employers' representatives to step up to the plate at this time of national need, as there has been little indication of an apparent change of culture among that sector of the economy. That said, the choices that must be made in the budget on 9 December will be unpalatable, whatever they may be. I would be surprised were any suggestion made by the Government to be greeted with anything other than derision by Opposition Members, however needed they might be.

With regard to the issue addressed yesterday on the funding of religious ethos-based schools, it is welcome that a meeting was held between the Taoiseach and representatives of Church of Ireland and other denominational schools yesterday. The Minister for Education and Science is in a difficult position, given that there has been a re-prioritisation of education spending due to the recent review of the programme for Government. However, I appeal to him to examine this issue, in particular, in the light of comments made by several Members yesterday. If there is a continuing constitutional difficulty in respect of this matter, he should examine ways as to how it might be addressed. If there is a need to diminish the funding, it should be done over a longer timeframe rather than singling out such schools to be the only set of schools nationally that will experience a decrease in capitation grants next year.