Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Yesterday's budget has come against the background of a move from a €6 billion surplus to a €15 billion deficit in the space of two years. That is unprecedented anywhere in Europe. It was done because the Government allowed the competitiveness of the country to slip seriously over the last few years. We lost export share as we put all our hopes in the creation of wealth through the property bubble and ended up with the most exposed financial sector in Europe. The Taoiseach came into the House yesterday and had the Minister for Finance read out a Budget Statement that makes every person in the country pay for the Government's mistakes and pay for its waste. There is nowhere anybody can turn now but they face down the barrel of some tax or other. The Taoiseach funked it yesterday when he had an opportunity to lay out his plans based on the OECD report or based on what he intended to do for public sector reform. This budget did not mention the detail of how that will be applied.

Yesterday's budget was disgraceful in what it contained and it was deplorable in what it did not contain. The response it elicited was quite fascinating. Never before have I seen such a universal rejection of a budget. One by one the statements came out. Groups such as IBEC, ISME, ICTU, SIPTU, Aer Lingus, Ryanair, ASH, hospital personnel, the Irish Hotels Federation, Focus Ireland, Barnardos, all criticised this budget. Companies, trade unions and interest groups who have never before agreed, found themselves unified in universal and total rejection of the budget. I could not believe that not one single agency, organisation, company or union had anything positive to say. Then late in the evening, just one positive and enthusiastic response appeared. One single, solitary organisation welcomed the budget and that was the Construction Industry Federation.

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