Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

Surely, the Taoiseach does not pretend that the budget represents a medium-term strategy. It is an arithmetic projection of existing levels of services. There is no attempt to drive efficiency or find ways of economising in certain areas in order to provide resources for priorities. We have four difficult years ahead of us and we need a proper compass to guide us. Every time I ask the Taoiseach about this, however, he consistently refuses to acknowledge that the programme for Government does not represent such a strategy and that we need an alternative. The sooner he wakes up to that and starts to build the strategy, the better for this economy's recovery.

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