Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is no point in blaming the medicine, the Deputy should blame the disease and applaud the medicine. The medicine is being applied to control debt and get deficits down. The Deputy can argue about the pace of that. Now they are loosening up a little in Europe and giving certain countries more time to deal with excessive deficits. That is fair enough. There are many other things that could be done in Europe. I am very vocal in Europe. I am not saying that the set of policies being pursued is perfect. All I am saying is that one cannot get away from reducing deficits and controlling debt as an opening position.