Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The Taoiseach answered a lot of questions but unfortunately not the one I specifically wanted him to answer, so let me put it another way. I do appreciate the convention but since it is now 4.30 p.m. the Taoiseach is released from that convention. By how much will tax revenues this year be less than projected, either at the beginning of the year or in the budget? That is the bottom line we want to know. The Taoiseach should express the figures in money terms rather than in percentages. Will the Taoiseach resist the temptation to discuss capital expenditure and so on and give the House the bottom line figure of how far tax revenues will have fallen this year compared to projections? It would be helpful if we are to understand our situation.

When the Taoiseach states that programmes must be reviewed, reconsidered or revisited, is he discussing another budget? Will he address the issue I raised, namely, the Government's budget decision to increase VAT rates? Our neighbouring state and the one with which we have a land border has reduced its VAT rates considerably.

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