Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

It is enough to make a cat laugh to hear the Minister question the wisdom of putting equity from the pension reserve fund into creating an energy infrastructure and a telecommunications infrastructure for the future while he is putting that money into buying toxic loans which will be a burden on taxpayers forever and a day.

Where are his initiatives on VAT for labour intensive sectors, on PRSI concessions for people expanding their workforces or on changes to the social welfare rules to allow employees to cut back to 80% working but remain in employment? These are all prevented by rules which the Minister continues to endorse in the budget.

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