Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

With regard to the final matter Deputy Gilmore raised, it is our intention in the Government to continue to lead. It is our intention to engage with the social partners and to provide ourselves with the means by which we can deal with these challenges. These challenges will not be dealt with in the partisan way in which Deputy Gilmore wishes to deal with them. They will be dealt with through social partnership where we will set a credible timeframe within which health can be restored to the public finances on an agreed basis, which is the best and only way forward to deal with the magnitude of the challenge that faces us.

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