Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Generalisations such as the statement the proposals would have completely upset the work-life balance are great. The Deputy referred to work-sharing and I responded. He should give me an example of all the other issues he raises and I will give him a detailed response to show his statements are not correct. As for his claims that the Government or my party is somehow Thatcherite, we are doing what we need to do to recover the economy. We could pretend, as some of those opposite do, that we can continue to borrow more than €1 billion per annum to provide for the current level of expenditure on public services. There are two simple inescapable facts. First, nobody will continue to give us €1 billion if we do not balance our books and, second, we cannot continue to pile debt on the shoulders of the next generation. The national debt will peak this year at a figure in excess of 120% of GDP, which is dangerously high. We are determined that when this occurs, it will mark the start of the reduction of the national debt to give a chance to the next generation to live, work and thrive in this country.

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