Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

My apologies. However, both parties, in this respect, based on what I am talking about, differ sharply on how to make up the €4 billion. Fine Gael want headline salary cuts imposed on the public sector. The Labour Party is strongly opposed to such a measure. The Labour Party also wants to see an extra €2.3 billion in taxes in a full year. Fine Gael tell us that it is not possible to tax the way to recovery. As they were on the banks, the two Opposition parties are fundamentally divided on how to stabilise the public finances.

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