Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

By reducing the adjustment by €600 million, we have made this a much less difficult budget than it might have been. Even so, Ministers still faced difficult decisions, and there are no easy options left in any Department. All the big spending Departments - Health, Social Protection, Justice and Equality and Education and Skills - have been through a long period of retrenchment. As in previous budgets, where it is possible we have linked expenditure reduction to reform. Without the reforms that have already been made, the reality is this budget would not have been possible. Without the Haddington Road agreement, in particular, we would not be in a position to open up recruitment in sensitive areas, including the recruitment of teachers and gardaí. The recruitment of extra staff is clear evidence of the reform dividend and I pay particular tribute to my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, for what he has achieved. I also pay tribute to the public service trade unions, which have made such an enormous contribution in the national interest.

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