Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

One of the hallmarks of the Cowen Government has been undue delays in making decisions, which has cost taxpayers a lot of money. On the recapitalisation of the banks, the Government delayed on the nationalisation and wind-up of Anglo Irish Bank, which has cost €30 billion. Yesterday, I made a constructive suggestion to the Taoiseach and the Government that it would be possible to bring forward to next week the 2011 budget and that it would be possible to have the essential measures of the finance Bill passed, as is the Taoiseach's duty and responsibility, before Christmas, which would bring a measure of certainty to the Government's proposals. However, the Taoiseach rejected this and I was disappointed to say the least.

I spoke to the European Commission yesterday, which made it perfectly clear that every hour that passes, every day that goes by and every week that moves along makes the position more drastic for the Irish taxpayer and people and, as a consequence, the package will be all the more rigorous with even stricter conditions. Bringing forward the budget would have been an answer in part to this issue.

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