Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

They made numerous predictions that were completely off the mark. Deputy McDonald speaks of irregularities. She would know something about that, I suppose.

The Government is involved in a comprehensive spending review of all Departments, and I mean all Departments. Every Minister will have to answer to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform before the Estimates are prepared for 2012 and the picture produced for the following three years.

The Deputy is, of course, aware that the country is in an economic bind, with constraints upon us. Those who are drawing social welfare payments legitimately do not want to see others in the system scamming it off. This causes considerable anger and resentment. I am sure the Deputy, in her next question, will agree that she does not want to see any social welfare fraud, in so far as it is preventable. That money comes from other taxpayers. People who are in the social protection payment area do not want to see that kind of carry-on when they are trying to get back to work.

The Deputy's comments are conjecture and are based on media reports. Everyone knows that every Department is going through this review. In due course, the Government will make known its decision. The decisions arising from the public expenditure review will be published before the budget. The Deputy will have an opportunity to give her views and her ideas as to how this can be moved forward.

I meet people all the time who are on social welfare lists. The job of Government is to balance the requirement of getting our deficit to 8.6% of GDP next year while providing a measure of confidence, hope and initiative for the indigenous economy and getting as many people as possible off the live register and back into the world of work.

The Deputy's comment, based on a newspaper report, is speculation. The Government will announce its own decisions when it has decided what it wants to do.

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