Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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We have already seen the debate, which will continue within this, regarding the scale of the budget as it is and how big it is. Both the Tánaiste and I were very clear in many of the debates that our first priority was always the safety of our public finances. My view and that of the Government is that if we had brought forward a budget that increased capital spending by the scale in which it has, had a current spending increase in excess of 6% and brought forward a personal tax package of €2.5 billion at a time in which we can see all of the change that is taking place around the world, that would have been the wrong thing to do. It would be wrong for the long-term health of our economy. What I hope and believe we will be able to do is that, if our economy does perform in the way I expect it will perform across the next year, we will be in a position to accompany the next number of budgets with changes in personal taxation.