Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

-----or powerful unions. Fine Gael, in government, will keep taxes as low as possible, not for any ideological reasons but because international evidence shows quite clearly that this is the best way to create jobs and to generate growth. As Deputy Noonan pointed out yesterday, no country has ever taxed its way back to prosperity.

This party will also reform government and make it leaner, not because of any hostility to the public sector but because we can only protect front line services if we reduce costs and increase efficiency. I have listened to people making wild statements that Fine Gael wanted to get rid of 30,000 front line teachers, nurses and gardaí. How stupid can they be? The point is that we respect the work of public services and our proposal is based entirely on the retention of front line services such as those provided by nurses, gardaí and teachers.

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