Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

It was a light-hearted comment about one of our best known commentators, who, as many have said outside the House as well, sometimes has a look of relish about him when he reports on catastrophe. That is, perhaps, a well known fact I would have thought for many people.

The important point about this budget is that it sets out a balance between our borrowing requirements, the need for spending cuts and the need for extra taxation. Before I was interrupted by Deputy Reilly, I was saying that this supplementary budget has to be seen in the context of what had already occurred in terms of the last full budget as well as the fact that there is to be another budget at the end of the year. Some people have suggested that perhaps we did not go far enough as regards spending cuts, favouring increases in taxation, but-----

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