Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

On the budgetary process, my Department will co-operate with the Department of Finance in identifying savings in my Department that are commensurate to what is required overall from Government. That is a role the Department of the Taoiseach must play the same as every other Department in obtaining the savings on an agreed basis, either by adopting any recommendations of the McCarthy report in respect of activities in my Department specifically or by obtaining equivalent savings in other ways as suggested by the Department itself. That is a continuing process in the budget.

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