Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

There is no hypocrisy. We accept the consolidation of €3.8 billion to be achieved between today and tomorrow. We accept the expenditure reduction of €2.2 billion and we expect an announcement tomorrow of tax increases of €1.6 billion. We support the overall figure and we agree with the budget deficit targets of 8.6% for 2012 and 3% deficit in 2015. However, individual measures such as voting down proposals on public servants earning more than €200,000 per year are not good enough when the Government is cutting the fuel allowance for people over this cold winter to pay for their friends in high places. That is the Government's choice and it has made these decisions.

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