Micheál Martin

I disagree. It was a decision to bring forward the date so parents and schools would have ample time. It has transpired that parents of many children who were in mainstream classes have applied for special classes. The Deputy is now acknowledging that we are spending money but some weeks ago she was saying we were cutting back on SNAs.

That is what the Deputy said last week, knowing full well-----

No, sorry. A rule of thumb is that if SNAs are not required in any school in any given year, they should not be there. There should always be regular checking.

No, it is not. I get that when in opposition, politicians have to do what is required but the bottom line, I take it, is that the Deputy is not opposing the increase in SNAs.

I thank the Deputy for raising an important issue, particularly for his constituents in County Laois. We have a National Ambulance Service. I am sure the Deputy will appreciate I cannot run the National Ambulance Service from here but I will engage with the issues he raised and I will talk to the Minister for Health about them. The National Ambulance Service will always defend the model it has, an…

Regarding the spring-October statement, the general Government balance is in surplus but all of that money is being used. There is an Exchequer deficit of €1.1 billion. The rest goes into the funds, which we have provided for. Nobody is commenting on that. That €10 million is not hanging around somewhere to be used. The bulk of it has been allocated to the funds and it is being invested in the eco…

Arrears?

First, let us deal with that issue. The spin all along has been that we have taken in more from the VAT increase than we have given in reductions. That is not true. The bottom line is that because of the measures we took on 13 April, the percentage of the taxation component of the price of a litre of Euro-Super 95 petrol is set to fall to 44% compared with 58% at the end of March. The measures we …

It is an important point. We have put forward a very significant package to get down the cost; there is no question about that. The figures are there in terms of how substantial the reduction is compared to what the tax component was. We will work out the package for farmers and contractors, and we will be in a position to outline those shortly. We have also provided a range of other supports to p…

Have you costed it?

How much?

No, that is not the way-----

This is a falsehood that you are presenting.

With the greatest of respect, it is an absolute falsehood you are presenting.

You need-----

I am speaking through the Chair. He is shouting across.

But I cannot.

I am entitled to pose a rhetorical question as a form of debate.

I would make the point. I know the Deputy was involved in the protests-----

-----and I know he took a role and so on like that, and he was deciding who was going to get all, and who was going to get-----

-----which I do not agree with, but-----

I want to ask you------

Deputy, what I will say to you-----

Finally, through the Chair, I have worked with the Deputy before. He is doing a lot of shouting and roaring here today in the Chamber. He has asked me about different things in the past, plenty of times, as a Dáil Deputy, and I have responded to him. I treated him courteously. All I am saying is that I have no difficulty discussing with the Deputy at any time.

I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very important issue for first-time buyers. The entire focus of this Government and the last Government is and was very much on alleviating pressures on first-time buyers but also enabling them to be in a position to buy houses at an affordable level. The positive news is that as a result of measures we have taken, the numbers of first-time buyers drawing …