Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Bruton will be aware that a good deal of emergency legislation has been introduced to the House in the new year. This has been important work and has been done in many cases with the constructive assistance of the Deputy. The Minister for Finance indicated some time ago that the Revised Estimates volume, in the absence of another budget which must now be considered, would be issued in mid-March. My understanding is that will not now occur in the context of the supplementary budget he is now preparing and that he will work off the abridged Estimates for the moment.

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