Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Budget day is always a big day for the Minister for Finance. This is not the first budget, the Minister, Deputy Brian Lenihan, has presented but it may well be the last. We would not be in this position if the Government, of which Deputy Cowen has been Taoiseach for the past number of years, had managed the economic affairs of the people competently. Of all the budgets I have awaited, this has received the most hype. Borrowings for 2009 of €26 billion include a figure of €4 billion for Anglo Irish Bank. This is real money from taxpayers' pockets. The big idea in this budget from both Brians seems to be to create jobs by reducing the price of drink. Following the cuts that will take place in social welfare, children's allowance and for low-paid, vulnerable people, do the figures to be presented today include up to €6 billion for the further recapitalisation of Anglo Irish Bank? By itself, this would wipe out the impact of all the cuts presented by the Minister for Finance. Do the figures for 2010 include this figure of up to €6 billion of real taxpayers' money, wiping out the impact of the cuts to be announced this afternoon?

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