Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The Taoiseach stated the Government will make decisions based on the mid-year Exchequer returns. I understand these will be published tomorrow. Is the Taoiseach aware of the contents of those returns? Did the Cabinet discuss the figures today? When will he be in a position to outline to the House exactly what he and the Government intend to do to deal with what is indicated by those figures?

For a couple of weeks, the Taoiseach and the Government have been communicating in coded language. More use of this language is evident today. The Taoiseach referred earlier to taking prudent corrective action. Last week he stated that temporary adjustments would be necessary in order to avoid more permanent damage. The Minister for Finance stated on the "News at One" last week that resolute, prudent and determined action would have to be taken. The Taoiseach also informed those at the IBEC dinner last week that it may be relatively painful to apply a corrective course now. When speaking in New Ross, the Minister for Finance indicated that none of this means there will be cutbacks but rather that savings will have to be made.

As the Taoiseach's predecessor might have said, the world, his brother and his mother knows that all of this coded language means that the Government is contemplating making cutbacks and introducing some form of stealth taxes. The only thing we do not know is what exactly the Government means to do.

Will the Taoiseach come clean and inform the Dáil and the people as to the nature of the corrective actions, measures, temporary adjustments and savings the Government intends to announce? Does he intend, prior to the summer recess, to indicate to the Dáil the steps the Government will take and translate the coded language into words we and the public can understand?

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