Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy should bear with me. The percentage which January tends to bear to the year as a whole has been confirmed in the receipts received this January. The predicted overall tax receipts this year, as the Deputy is aware, are well short of what was received last year.

With regard to the detailed monthly breakdown and the breakdown under the different heads, my Department is taking particular care with its forecasts this year, but they will be available later this month. It is a five year programme and it would be a brave person who could predict what will happen in 2011 and beyond. We need to stabilise our finances now——

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