Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I am trying to explain the situation. Deputy McCormack opposed the levy by not voting for it. Now he is wondering if I will take it back. In his next breath he is telling me not to borrow any more and to save more money. He cannot have it every way. If he wants to play games, he can play games; he is good at it. It is about the only contribution he makes anyway.

What I have to do in terms of the finances is to say to people that we had to take up €2 billion at that time. This levy formed part of that and it resulted in a saving of €1.4 billion. We have heard no alternative from anyone else as to where €1.4 billion of that €2 billion was to be obtained. People talk around and about it. They do not agree with it but they cannot tell us where else we are supposed to find it. That is in this House. On the constructive proposals coming from anyone else, I will examine them, but I cannot give any commitment whatever, other than to say this Government will have to find savings of at least equal and probably greater measure in order to consider anything from there.

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