Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

We had the Emergency, and I think we have an emergency now - we have an economic emergency. There are those out there who think that current conditions, in terms of the parlous state of the economy, are akin to a war.

What is laid out here is fundamental change - the Deputy is correct in that. We are creating a structure that is fundamentally different from the Department of Finance that has existed since the foundation of the State. We are taking out the expenditure side and the public service management side of the Department and forming those into a Cabinet-ranked Department of State. We have all sorts of new architecture involved in that but it is good. Most people who have looked objectively at the intention and the structure are supportive of it. The Deputy repeated this notion that it was somehow a compromise because of political ambition, that two parties claimed the same job. That is absolutely untrue. I certainly did not voice any ambition to be Minister for Finance.

See this speech in context