Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

-----is by making sure that we can confirm to those who are funding our deficits that we are prepared to pare back the gap between spending and taxation over a reasonable period in a way in which our debt dynamics do not continue to rise, which would be the case were one to prolong the situation beyond 2014. I understand and respect the arguments people put in that regard, but having considered them the problem is that one's level of debt can continue to rise and that can bring its own adverse reaction in terms of being able to fund the deficits one is trying to manage as equitably and best as one can while protecting the people one wants to protect to the greatest extent possible with the resources available.

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