Mr. Sebastian Barnes:

People have many different issues. I strongly agree on good judgment and planning. The Government's medium-term strategy is certainly the most comprehensive and properly thought-through medium-term budgetary plan we have seen since I have been on the council, which is a long time. That is a very welcome change. It is a break, at least with the Irish budgeting I am familiar with. It is a good sign. The increase in public investment needed to address climate change and for housing and other matters is important. The way it is fitted into the budgetary arithmetic shows what can be done.

One of the main concerns expressed in the report is that although the plan, as a budgetary plan, makes a lot of sense, there are a few things missing in respect of an overall plan for the country and how it all fits together, particularly regarding climate change, the implementation of Sláintecare, pensions and the rainy day fund. There are aspects that have not been worked into the plan yet. I guess we are a little concerned that this could derail it. In the spirit of what the Deputy said, this is where more planning needs to be done in the medium term. We must have a plan that really addresses all these things at the same time within what is more or less the same budgetary framework.