Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

The truth is health costs have not been targeted for heavier savings than others and the percentage of savings is close to the average for all other Departments combined. Likewise, the savings in overseas development assistance arise from moneys that would not have been spent on time this year. Even so, we will still exceed the 0.54% target set for 2008 in terms of GNP and we will be far ahead of what most other developed nations spend as a percentage of their national income.

In winding up this debate, I want to make clear the Government has an absolute resolve to meet the present challenges. We need a sensible stewardship of the public finances. We have taken firm decisions, some of them not without controversy. All expenditure must be subject to scrutiny for 2009.

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