Mary White (Fianna Fail)

On yesterday's Order of Business, I called for a debate on growing inequality in society. Ten schools in Jobstown, Killinarden Brookfield and Fettercairn in west Tallaght are designated as disadvantaged and in the DEIS programme which delivers opportunity in education. For the information of Members, and Senator Bacik in particular, the 2012 budget will see the Department cut DEIS programmes in these schools. This Government is incompetent and inefficient. Due to the protests we made over cuts to public nursing homes, the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, whom I referred to as Cromwell here, has recently decided he will review the policy.

Yesterday morning, people from the Tallaght area protested outside Leinster House about the proposed DEIS cuts and I spoke about it on the Order of Business. It now emerges the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, lead a delegation to lobby his party colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, over the cuts. I do not understand it, Senator Bacik.