Mary O'Rourke (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

We are operating on the mandate given to us by the people when they voted for us. For some reason, Deputy Enda Kenny cannot get it out of his head that he did not make it two and a half years ago or get into the position for which he had hoped.

Be that as it may, we are faced with a budget. I thank the Fianna Fáil Front Bench, including the Taoiseach, for this debate. Everyone agrees that there must be €4 billion in cuts. I listened to Deputy Richard Bruton, who stated that Fine Gael agreed with many of the McCarthy proposals as outlined by an bord snip nua. However, the party will not tell us with which proposals it will agree, because not doing so enables each of its Deputies and Senators to tell their local newspapers that they are appalled by the latest cuts. "Appalled" is a good word and Fine Gael uses it often. Its eminent spokesman on finance is able to say the party agrees with most of the McCarthy cuts, but it does not specify a single cut it would implement.

See this speech in context