Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.

The Government is fully alert to the sacrifices people must make and the need to lessen the impact of decisions on the vulnerable as much as possible. The unfortunate reality is that Ireland is facing a budgetary crisis, which we must correct if we are to regain the ability to restore public services in the future. Until we achieve this objective, difficult consolidation measures will be necessary. The Government is determined to bring about this fiscal correction in a fair and proportionate manner, striking a balance between spending and taxation measures. It is in the process of considering all of the options that have been developed and the detailed measures on which we decide will be announced in the first week of December.

In addition, the Government is committed to reforming our entire public service to provide better services to citizens and reduce administrative costs across the system. Today, I launched a public service reform plan, with a range of specific and time bound commitments and a far-reaching programme of rationalising State agencies and quangos. The efficiencies arising in this overall context will mitigate the impact on front line services of the regrettable expenditure reductions we must make.

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