Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

This was a solemn commitment of the Government, but we are now reducing the proportion of our national income that we will commit to this area. It was a soft target and that is the underlying theme. This was a time not to look for soft targets, but to make hard decisions that should have been faced up to now.

I welcome a scrappage scheme for five Ministers of State, but it is a half-hearted effort in my view.

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