Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

——except to say that we are committed to bringing forward a multi-annual approach that will seek to reduce our deficit to 3% by 2013. That is our objective and in the meantime we are working out the best way by which that adjustment can be made on a yearly basis, taking account of all the situational requirements. I am not in a position, nor would Deputy Gilmore be if he were in my boots, to come into the House on a daily or weekly basis to give progress reports on budgetary discussions. These continue, with the overall objective I outlined. I indicated to the House this morning what our position is in general terms. I am not in a position to go into further detail on that and anybody who ever had anything to do with budgetary discussions would know why. That is the situation.

The Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, will come on the appointed day, 7 April, with, as a result of those deliberations, a full multi-annual approach which will set out in clear detail a pathway to return order to the public finances as I outlined in general terms today. I am not in a position to give further detail at this point because it would not reflect the considered and final decisions to be taken by Cabinet.

With regard to the social partnership issue, obviously we are trying to build on the framework agreed at the end of January and to see if it is possible to proceed with an agreement on a range of issues. As Members will know, since then we have had a National Economic and Social Council, NESC, report which has deepened the shared analysis about the nature of the problem, the inter-related aspects that are causing it and how we might resolve it. I would proceed to discuss those matters with social partners on that basis, to see if agreement is possible. Having an agreement would be beneficial to the national effort, for everybody collectively to get behind what must be done.

I have seen statements regarding Deputy Gilmore's position. We will finalise our arrangements, come to the House and explain the choices we have made and what is behind the strategy we will outline. We will indicate why it must be set out as it will be, because of the scale and magnitude of the problem we face. Unfortunately, nobody in this country can be immune from the impact of what must be done.

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