Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

In this budget the Government has decided to reduce spending on public services by almost €1 billion in 2010 compared with the pre-budget estimates. We have sought to make savings through efficiencies rather than through reductions in services, €400 million of these savings arise in the health area where various measures, including a prescription charge of 50 cent per item under the medical card scheme, are being introduced to reduce the State's medicines bill.

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