Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

To answer the Deputy directly, the position in that regard is as follows. We made the point that on the basis of the briefings and analysis provided by the Department, if we can agree that this is the pitch upon which we are playing and those facts are the same for everybody, I have no objection to a meeting being held to confirm this is the position and to consider if it is possible for us to have talks beyond that which would meet with an outcome approved by everybody. That is fine at one level. I am also aware of the Deputy's stated public positions on these fronts. There have been policy choices from him even as late as yesterday suggesting that there should be no tax change or alteration to welfare etc. There were a number of issues, and it would be very difficult from my perspective to know how to make an adjustment without having all these matters on the table. However, I will not pre-empt the issue.

I stated last Friday that we must take the matter step by step. The stage we are at is the provision to the Opposition of an agreed process - which is under discussion - for the purpose of having analysis and briefings from designated officials in the Department. The purpose of this is to arm all people with the same facts. On that basis, if a meeting were to held to confirm that we are all agreed on that position, it would be fine if anything further could derive from it that would garner agreement from everyone.

I am prepared to take the process in a step-by-step way and I am not tying the Deputy into a process about which he may have reservations or tying myself into a process suggesting that we end up in an arrangement where bits of everyone's proposal would be considered. That would not meet the requirements of the issue. As the Deputy knows, the Government has a responsibility to discharge, which is to bring forward a four-year plan, as other Governments in the European Union are being asked to do.

We are trying to discern the areas upon which we can agree and whether these are at the macro-economic or micro-economic level. It is all the better if they are policies to help us reach the outcome we all want. That remains to be seen, as the Deputy's party will need to see and assess the analysis and briefings before giving its view.

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