Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Over the past week, Ministers appear to have been sent out daily to brief journalists on the likely contents of the forthcoming jobs initiative. In fairness, the programme for Government did promise a new approach to discussing budgets before publication. This is well under way. The Taoiseach admitted that the Government had over-hyped the jobs budget promised in a wide range of pre-election documents. We were led to believe a definite economic stimulus would be provided when the Government entered office but it is now to be a revenue-neutral initiative. It appears from what can be read from the spin of ministerial leaks that a number of the specific initiatives to be announced next week involve renouncing and rebranding initiatives that are already under way. For example, the smart grid strategic research cluster-----

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