Vol. 478 No. 7
136 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Education if she will publish the cost framework undertaken by his Department prior to the publication of the White Paper on Education in relation to the costs of its proposals; and if he will make a copy of the Department of Finance's observations on the White Paper available to all members of Dáil Éireann. [12115/97]
As I have indicated to Deputies, on a number of occasions, the Government decision on the funding of initatives in the White Paper, "Charting Our Education Future", is as set out in my foreword to the White Paper. In essence this is that the amount of funding which can be made available in any given year will have to be decided by the Government in the context of its financial position and its other public expenditure priorities at that time.
In making observations on the resource aspects of the White Paper, the Department of Finance did not produce detailed, comprehensive multi-annual cost projections, which would take account of all the variables on which future costs depend. To attempt to do so would have been a very difficult if not impossible task and indeed would be of questionable value. Government approval of the White Paper was contingent upon adherence to the Maastricht Treaty criteria, in accordance with the Government's fiscal policy objectives. The allocation for education would have to be settled each year.
