Anthony Lawlor (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I come from a business background. Anyone with that perspective understands how budgets work. One tries to budget or plan a number of years in advance.

We must welcome anything the Government can do that is similar to what happens in business, such as putting long-term budget plans in place. I am astounded by the criticism of some Opposition speakers of what the Government has done to date. We are trying to ensure we do not allow the type of economic collapse that happened in 2008.

My first election was in 1977. At the time, the Fianna Fáil Party-----

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