Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

The national development plan stands. The Government has made clear that implementation of the plan must be phased over a longer period. It will not be possible to implement the plan within the original envisaged timescale. Therefore, it will be necessary to extend the period during which it will be implemented.

It is important in that context to identify which elements of the plan should be prioritised. In regard to the request from Deputy Bruton for a debate in the House on that matter, such debate can take place in the context of the budgetary debate.

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