Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

We can only be grateful that the Minister, Deputy O'Dea, is not in charge of the public finances. When the national development plan was introduced, the Government offered the following assurance:

A prudent budgetary policy will be implemented over the period of the plan which does not add to inflationary pressures in the economy and which leaves flexibility for budgetary manoeuvre should an economic slowdown occur. This policy will require that growth in day-to-day expenditure must be kept broadly in line with the increase in economic growth. In such circumstances, a key expenditure objective will be to achieve more with the resources already being used to realise maximum value for money.

This was the precondition for the national development plan, the bedrock upon which Fianna Fáil economic strategy was to be built.

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