Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I would like to be as short in my reply as the Deputy is in his questions.

The fact of the matter is that if one does not take a responsible approach, as one is entitled to do, and one does not believe the aforesaid adjustments must be made, one must explain how the State will be funded beyond next July. If one cannot explain it, instead of spending €50 billion with €31 billion coming in, one will spend €31 billion next year with €31 billion coming in. If this were one's approach, one would then have to explain to the people why one must cut services, entitlements and everything else.

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