Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy and look forward to engaging with him in this committee in the years ahead.

The number one contingency plan is running budget surpluses and putting those budget surpluses into the Future Ireland Fund and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund. That is the main fiscal budgetary insurance policy that we have and the most effective one: to run budget surpluses and then save budget surpluses. In addition, in terms of how we can support our economy, I would point to the work that the Minister, Deputy Burke, is doing through the competitiveness action plan and the work the Minister, Deputy Lawless, is doing in investing in higher and further education. The Minister, Deputy Chambers, has already spoken of the work he is doing on capital investment.