What is the estimated deficit for CIE for the current year?

I understand that the expected outturn will be in the region of £94 million. I might add for the information of the House that this expected outturn was known to the Government of which the Deputy was a junior Minister when the figure of £65 million was provided in the Estimate for the £94 milion outturn.

This must be the final supplementary.

It might also be of great significance to the general public. How and when does the Minister propose dealing with this expected outturn especially since it is part of the Government programme to take immediate action to deal with this matter?

As I have indicated, the position was compounded for me by the failure of the previous Government to budget properly for this situation. It was compounded further by their failure to provide for proper fare increases at the time they were predicted. In that connection I might mention that when answering questions in May last, the Deputy, as he was entitled to do, concealed from the House the amount that those fares increases would have produced. If the proper measures had been taken then I might not now have a problem of this magnitude.

I am calling Question No. 2.

Is the Minister saying that during the period in which he has been in office he has not taken any action to cut this budget deficit?

I have not said that.

That is what I understood him to say.