Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

It is agreed by everyone with knowledge of the area, at home and abroad, that the question of the establishment of NAMA is an essential part of any recovery strategy for this country. We await EU state aid agreement on that and we expect it in the coming weeks.

Regarding the question of how we maintain jobs in this economy, we have made it clear through the budgetary strategy that we will continue to make this economy more competitive, we will continue to put our public finances in order and we will continue to assist businesses through the various initiatives we have instigated, such as the stabilisation programme, to ensure that we can bring forward a situation where this country will continue to recover during the second half of this year. That is our strategy and we are determined to do it. That is the direction in which we are going.

Regarding the continuous introduction by Deputy Kenny of every negative and exaggerated opinion he can bring to this House, on every occasion he seeks to suggest at home and abroad that this country does not have such a strategy but it does.

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