Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The decisions taken by Government in drafting the budget are all unpalatable. As Deputy Martin is well aware, there were adjustments of €3.8 billion in the budget for 2012, comprising of €2.2 billion current spending and €1.6 billion in taxation. No matter what way one looks at it, in order to comply with conditions this country has signed up to, it is never an easy choice to decide what is in the best interests of everybody. I made it perfectly clear in speaking before the budget that no single citizen would be left untouched by this.

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