Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The fundamental parameters of the budget for 2010, as set out by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, in December 2009, are being broadly respected. Expenditures are in line and are underneath projected targets. Total taxation, while slightly down, is only down by 2% overall on the income tax side. We are seeing a deficit, for which we budgeted, of approximately 11.5% last year which is coming in at around 11.9% as things stand.

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