Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am encouraged by the debate. If members are genuinely serious about engaging in helping me to put a better budget together, I will actively participate in that discussion. It would be great if mine was the first Department to do that successfully though the committee system. However, if members start abusing this, I will pull the shutters down because I have to protect my Department and the Government politically as well. Members will find that I am open and constructive, I hope, in taking suggestions on board. If they are serious about trying to find ways to save money that we cannot avoid saving and we get to the point of agreeing that, then we could have a fruitful discussion. If the next time we meet we have a specific planned discussion on, for example, the DAS, that would be helpful, because otherwise I could bluff along and get through these meetings with members trying to land punches in the usual way. We can try to get under the skin of this and have a serious discussion, which I am willing to have, and I am willing to provide information if members want to do that.