Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

While it will be a challenging year, I expect it will be one that will be delivered on fully. The Minister of State, Deputy Alex White, has pointed on many occasions to the savings of €25 million made in terms of the eligibility of the over-70s for a medical card, as well as the €23 million savings with other measures concerning medical cards, yet extra moneys are included in this year’s budget for new medical cards.

Deputy Joe Higgins again referred to cronyism and capitalism. I have to say he is as consistent as the waves on the Irish Sea; he keeps rolling in with the same argument on cronyism and capitalism. However, the job and mandate given to the Government is to sort out the public finances and get the country back to work. The economy is moving in the right direction, but we still have many challenges ahead, the greatest of which will be to continue to be competitive, extract costs from the way we deliver services for the people and, thereby, create jobs for those at home. That is the fundamental mandate given to us by the people. In that sense, we will continue, through the programme for Government, to deliver on the remaining commitments on the work under way. I have already given my view to each Minister on the whole range of commitments in respect of their Departments for which they have responsibility. Some of these are contingent on others being delivered. In March we will report on the progress made and again sometime later this year.

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