Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The witnesses are very welcome here today and I thank them for their brief presentation. They are very clear that the Government should have continued with the previously planned adjustment of €3.1 billion rather than the reduced amount of €2.5 billion, but the Minister's statement consistently refers to the €3.1 billion adjustment made up of expenditure reductions, taxation measures amounting to €2.5 billion and other measures.

The Minister believes his budget adjustment was €3.1 billion but Professor McHale is saying it was €2.5 billion. We will not debate the difference. Which figure is accepted by Europe? Let us forget the message for local consumption. Which is the real figure that people outside Ireland accept as the adjustment?