Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

I join the Leader in extending our sympathy and condolences to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Martin, and his wife on the devastating loss of their young daughter. I know the Cathaoirleach attended the funeral yesterday and no words of ours could offer comfort or capture the grief the family must be feeling. They are in our thoughts at this very difficult time for them.

I would like to raise two issues. The first is the date of the budget. I understood from the Deputy Leader of the House yesterday there was a possibility the budget would be moved forward. Yesterday the Taoiseach talked about 7 December again. It is important there is clarity about this because many people are very concerned about the impact this budget will have on their lives.

On the education cuts discussed today in the pages of The Irish Times and elsewhere where we read that cuts to special needs staff are being proposed and where it is stated that several hundred of the 10,000 special needs posts are under threat, I move an amendment to the Order of Business that we ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills to attend the House today to discuss the impact of the budget on the education sector. It is critical, as Senator MacSharry stated previously, that we discuss in this House, by sector and by Department, the choices and tough decisions that will have to be made. It is also critical that we discuss the impact of these cuts. There is discussion about class size and about the pupil-teacher ratio being increased again. There is discussion about cutbacks to special needs and about college registration fees. There was research yesterday showing that families are finding it very difficult to pay college registration fees as they stand. It is essential that we discuss these issues in this House and that the views of every Senator are heard on this critical issue of education.