Frank Fahey (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

The Fine Gael finance spokesman said this week that if Fine Gael were in power it would not raise taxes, but would instead bring in a budget with a 5.5% deficit. This can only mean Fine Gael favours further expenditure cuts, totalling more than €4 billion, because to reduce the deficit from 6.5% to 5.5% would cost more than €2 million. I challenge Deputy Richard Bruton to confirm that is the position and to tell us how he would make those cuts. I challenge him to tell the farmers at the weekend meetings the cuts Fine Gael would make — I am sure Fine Gael will say the cuts are terrible and it would not make them. I ask Fine Gael to tell the teachers and parents who will challenge us over the next number of weeks what cuts it would make in education if not the ones proposed by the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe.

The Fine Gael performance with regard to the budget has been cowardly and political. This is a sad day. I am convinced that when we have the next general election, the electorate will see Fine Gael for the Opposition it has been, full of opportunism. Take health, for example. Deputy Richard Bruton wants to cut €700 million more in health than the cuts made by the Minister, Deputy Harney, or than provided for in the budget.

Fine Gael does not have a proper approach to a budgetary framework or to the planning or allocation of money. Week in and out Fine Gael Deputies call for more spending. On the Adjournment last night, we had Deputy Olwyn Enright calling for more speech therapists. Fine Gael Deputies continue to call for more services here, there and everywhere. However, when there are some difficult decisions to be taken——

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