Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

In regard to the Deputy's suggestion that the balance of evidence was in favour of taking other proposals, the balance of evidence was along the lines I outlined in my speech. We took account of the IMF, OECD, stockbrokers and other forecasting firms internationally and domestically that were setting out their views. The Department of Finance, as former Ministers for Finance will know, will take cognisance of all of these forecasts and come to its own conclusions on what it sees as prospective economic and employment growth and the vulnerability and downsides.

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