Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The evidence is that the framework for economic renewal sets out our economic policy priorities, which were provided before Christmas. We said then that if we are to achieve those objectives we must restore order to our public finances. We begin on that road this week. We are involving the social partners during the course of this month in order to achieve broad agreement on the approach we intend to take. We are looking at all areas of expenditure in a way in which the Opposition was not prepared to do——

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