Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

Is cúis mhór áthais domsa cúpla abairt mholta a rá faoin cháinaisnéis iontach a chuir mo chomhghleacaí Rialtais, an tAire Airgeadais, faoi bhráid na Dála agus an chaoi agus na slite cothroma inar chuir sé i measc mhuintir na hÉireann é.

This is the tenth successive budget presented by this Fianna Fáil-led Government and the third by my esteemed colleague and our Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen.

It is the last budget of the 29th Dáil and I have no doubt that the first budget of the 30th Dáil, this time next year, will also be presented by a Fianna Fáil-led Administration. Since 1997, a deliberate and focused strategy has underpinned this Government's budget policy. This has resulted in record economic growth, a doubling of the number of people at work to over 2 million, fundamental tax reform, redistribution of wealth, major increases in social services and a massive programme of investment in infrastructure.

As the Taoiseach said here this morning, we live in an astonishing period of national development. We have succeeded in delivering an Ireland which is closer than ever to the one of which our forefathers dreamed. It is not a perfect republic, but under this Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats Government, Ireland is a better country to live in than ever before.

Over these ten budgets, a clear and focused strategy has been followed, which has made our modern republic one that is looked up to all over the world. This has all the more significance because not so long ago the opposite was the case. As Minister of State with responsibility for European Affairs, I am continually struck by the extraordinary journey which our country has travelled. Fewer than two decades ago, it was one of the Cinderellas of the EU. Today it is at the top of the 25 member states and as traditionally powerful states, such as France and Germany experience sluggish economic growth, Ireland continues to drive forward.

For the new member states, and for those about to accede to the European Union on 1 January 2007, Ireland is a perfect role model which they seek to emulate. This budget is a generous, responsible and focused set of provisions, which will sustain economic progress while improving the quality of life for all our people. Underlying all that this Government does is a genuine desire to spread our continuing prosperity as evenly as possible, and to ensure that policies of fairness and equality are always pursued.

This is one of the fairest and most socially progressive budgets ever produced by an Irish Government. We have generated the means, through prudent economic management and now we are setting about using it. Previous speakers have already outlined the extraordinary array of benefits across almost every area of public policy which this Government has initiated in this last budget of the 29th Dáil.

This budget rewards workers, promotes enterprise and protects the vulnerable, such as older people, those on welfare and people with disabilities. It also gives a real boost to first time home buyers with a doubling of mortgage interest relief, and further increases in child care benefit and funding for child care places, for hard-pressed working families.

In this budget the Government has given back more money to the people than ever before. It has been in a position to do this, because of its sound management of our economy, over the past nine years, which has allowed the largest ever increases in public spending and cuts in taxes. The Opposition is battling valiantly to pick holes in budget 2007. It is a hard station in which it has become very well practised. It knows in its heart that there is good news for everyone in this budget and that the vulnerable in our society have been especially well catered for.

It knows that the word on the streets about this budget is very positive and that the people are in no mood to risk their future economic and social management with any other than a Fianna Fáil-led Administration. It is my pleasure to commend this wonderful budget to the House and I salute Deputy Cowen on the outstanding leadership he has given, the work he has done and the excellent support he has received from his Government colleagues, led by an outstanding Taoiseach on behalf of the people.

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