Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I am dealing with all of these questions honestly, as I deal with all questions here in the House, and to the best of my ability and knowledge available to me.

The signatories to the programme for Government did not sign in an individual capacity. They did so on behalf of their parties for the duration of the term of this Government. The Deputy will find, if his party changes its leader, that he will be bound by the signatories of successors too. That is the way it works. It is an absurd argument to suggest that because parties change leaders, people retire or move on and they are replaced that in some sense agreements made are invalid. Such agreements were signed on behalf of the parties for the duration of the Administration. It is clear that is the case and I do not understand the purpose of the question other than to suggest that if anyone retires from politics there should be a general election.

On the point about the programme for Government, I refer the Deputy to the important paragraph in this and any other programme for Government worth the name, which confirms that trying to achieve overall budgetary balance must be a priority in the context of the delivery of any commitments in the programme. Commitments in any programme for Government are not free standing, regardless of the economic or budgetary circumstances. That was set out before, during and after the election.

The fact is that we are in a new economic climate where, despite the prospects on which we all fought an election, with all of us suggesting there will be nominal growth rates of approximately 7% per year, between actual growth and inflation. We put forward manifestos on that point. It was the one aspect on which we did agree. We might have had different commitments in the manifestos but at least we based them on the same growth rate assumptions. We are in a totally different position now and we must adapt to that.

It is only in trying to achieve budgetary balance, and there will be a budgetary equilibrium which will be a serious challenge in the course of this Administration, that one can contend to the public with any credibility the provision of sustainable public services at whatever level they can be achieved but we will not achieve them by proceeding with implementing commitments as if they were free standing, which they never were. The Deputy is portraying them as being free standing and then suggests they could be sustained for any period of time thereafter. Unless one had access to resources other than the Exchequer resources, one could not make that commitment.

I do not accept the Deputy's contention that there is any dishonesty. It is clearly the case that the programme for Government sets out the parameters within which all commitments are made and upon which any responsible Government can make them.

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