Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The challenge facing the Government and our country is to continue on the steady path that the Government has plotted and our Minister for Finance has followed, to keep our economy in order, to provide opportunities for job creation and therefore economic growth, to take our country, through this budget, out of the bailout and give us a chance to restore our economic independence, and to give an opportunity to the many young people around the country, some of whom are in the Gallery today. These things matter. That is why we intend in the deliberations around the budget to be as fair and equitable as possible and to use whatever flexibility is available to us to continue essential services, look after the vulnerable and provide opportunities for job creation.

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