Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Three weeks ago at this time, the Minister for Finance was receiving a standing ovation for the budget he introduced. Three weeks later, the budget has unravelled like a ball of string. Having been received with a standing ovation by Government Members, it was received with a great deal of anger, shock and dismay by the most vulnerable in society around the country. The final nail in the coffin of budget 2009 is the report from the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs of the European Commission. The document singles out Ireland and effectively states the Taoiseach's budget and projections are miles off course. How does he explain the difference of €5 billion in the projections of the Minister for Finance and the Government for 2010 and those of the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs of the European Commission, which is a participant in the legal process involved? Will he confirm that he stands over the figures in his budget?

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