Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

What I am saying is we have made significant progress. From the beginning, in the first meeting I had with the troika in advance of going into Government, we indicated what we needed to achieve. We have progressed much further than I had expected we could in the first 18 months. We have a way to go and I am confident we will move further.

The committee may be aware that the German Minister, Mr. Schäuble, is coming to Ireland and both the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, and I will meet him the week after next. The fact that he has asked to come to Ireland is not insignificant in itself.

In terms of expenditure, I have asked for suggestions. Interestingly, in the best social democratic tradition, Deputy Mathews has given two taxation proposals as opposed to two expenditure proposals, and those are proper to my colleague, the Minister for Finance. I recommend that the taxation agenda is something that Deputy Mathews might usefully raise within his own political party.