Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I am making the broader point, one which will affect whoever is in government in the years ahead, that we have to take cognisance of the international economic environment from which we cannot be immune. We have certain commitments with which we have to contend and in the meantime we will prioritise investments in the productive sectors of the economy, including education, physical infrastructure, social expenditure and other areas, on the basis that, year on year as our Estimates are being prepared, we come forward with proposals which give priority to those areas. That is what we will do.

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