Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

That is because the soft options are being taken. The money is being spent but it is not delivering and the soft option of borrowing is being taken.

Looking ahead, the prospects of those who cheered the Minister a moment ago, seeing their great programme for Government being delivered are nil. If one looks at the figures the Minister projects for taxation for 2010, one will see it is €6.3 billion off what was forecast when the manifesto was published. That blows the entire manifesto out of the water.

We now have no strategy from Government. Its programme for Government does not stand up to any scrutiny. The promises, such as the 2,000 extra gardaí, the 4,000 extra teachers or the 2,000 extra consultants, have gone in a puff of smoke because the money is spent.

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