Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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Forecasting in an inexact science. We are projecting out to 2015 and in this case, for the first time, we are having a punt at what the thing will be like from 2016 to 2019 on the best figures available. It is an inexact science and it moves. That being said, we are in a good position at the moment. It looks as though there may be some flexibility and as though we will beat our targets if we do nothing else between now and 2015. However, it is too early in the year to give any commitment on what way the budget will work out, because things can happen to knock us off course.

Let us recall the time, two years ago, when I first took over this job. Many learned people, including those attached to the major business faculties in the universities, were saying the country was bunched and bankrupt, that there was no solution except default, that the debt was not sustainable, that the Government could not fulfil the programme and that it could not do what it said it was going to do. If the Deputy goes over the record he will find very credible people making such predictions. We have got to a point at which, in shorthand terms, we are approximately one year ahead of where I envisaged we would be coming into the summer of 2013. Certainly we have made a good deal of progress, but we must sustain that now.

There are always choices to be made. Should we say now that because we are doing well we should give away the benefits of our success, or should we stick to the task at hand, finish the job and ensure we have a solid sustainable economy in which there is no fear for our children's future and a growing, modern economy in which there is work for our people? Deputy Doherty will be involved in that as well. I will discuss it openly with him but he must measure it. It is a question of judgment. I am not prepared to call it coming into May because I do not have enough information yet. Deputy Doherty might be right: the right thing to do might be to ease up somewhat and use money elsewhere. My priority will be to see whether we have extra resources for growth and job creation. We have made good progress in the past 48 hours with the European Investment Bank. The roads programme is going ahead, the Newlands Cross project is going ahead and bundles of schools projects are going ahead. The health centres and such-----