Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I am answering the question. The Deputy seeks to suggest the commitments were absolute or made without reference to the public finances, which is not the position. When the commitments were made they were set out very clearly on that basis.

A sound economy is the bedrock of social progress and an absolute prerequisite for all our ambitions. To that end, we will defend prosperity and the consequences of that determination are clear. If we ever face into a global economic downturn, we will act prudently, as we have done previously, and will keep the healthy fundamentals intact through the downturn. We said that if there was a downturn, we would have to take account of it. There were no absolute commitments made in any respect before, during or after any election because the first priority is to maintain a sound economy, without which one has no prospects and one can talk aspirationally about anything one likes. That is the position, as was set out in writing at the time.

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