Quinn: we don't yet know the extent of budget cuts to be made

The Minister for Education said he still can't put a figure on the cutbacks he will have to make in next month's budget.

At the weekend, Ruairi Quinn insisted that €100m would be the upper level of cuts he would have to make.

But speaking today, he said he is not able to state what the correction will need to be.

"We won't know for example just exactly how many people have retired," he said.

"79% of my budget of eight hundred thousand million is fixed on salaries - and it's a big chunk. So the range I'm currently told is between €45 m and €100m+; but in two-and-a-half weeks time I'll have a clearer picture."