Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 40 and 47 together.

The task of settling the spending Estimates for 2012 will take place after the Government has considered the budget strategy memorandum from the Minister for Finance and a memorandum from me on the results of the ongoing comprehensive review of expenditure and the capital review. The overall target figure for the fiscal adjustment will be in line with the memorandum of understanding on specific policy conditionality of the joint EU-IMF programme of financial support for Ireland. It is much easier to refer to this as "the MOU". The figure involved, which is well known to the House and mentioned in one of the questions, is €3.6 billion.

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