Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

First, this is an urgent matter. The Bill needs to be enacted so that it can be brought into effect from 1 March. Second, we have indicated the reasoning behind it and the options that were available to Government. Third, the suggestion that all this should be withdrawn and held back would serve to indicate both at home and abroad that we were not prepared to make the necessary adjustments which clearly are the minimum in present circumstances that are required. Fourth, with regard to the suggestion of tweaking or whatever in regard to the levy itself, when asked that question at the time of its announcement I said we were not closing our minds to looking at things, but on the basis of the €1.4 billion being provided for within the context of the levy. No such proposal has been forthcoming in that respect.

It has also been made clear that it is not possible to deal with this issue, nor would it be possible for people to deal with this issue in isolation from the wider framework which could provide for a basis for an agreement were negotiations to be resumed or were a basis to be found upon which negotiations could be resumed, and I have already spoken on that matter earlier.

See this speech in context