Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)

This Finance Bill — I have seen a few of them in my time in the House — is a damage limitation exercise. With all respect to the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, one would think after listening to his speech that he never heard of this budget. He genuinely believes he was neither involved in nor knew the first thing about it.

On budget day, the Minister for Finance claimed he had a difficult task to perform, which we all accept, and everyone would be expected to share the pain. He continued that taking into account people's capacity to do so, his budget would be fair and balanced. In times of great hardship when an economy runs into the high seas, most people will react positively to measures that are fair, reasonable, necessary, unavoidable and likely to lead to a better standard of living in the future. The public might not like such measures but it will buy them. My colleague, Deputy Michael Noonan, spent much of his time as a senior Minister putting through such a regime in bad economic times. By and large, we were reasonably successful.

What did Fianna Fáil do this time? Let us consider the 3% levy imposed on the golden circle — the very gang that was inside the tent at the Galway races and which Fianna Fáil is trying to protect. When the Minister had finished his budget speech, it was the first time I saw a budget so enthusiastically received — both by Fianna Fáil and Green Party Members.

See this speech in context