Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his warm congratulations on our having solved the existential threat to the Irish people and the economy through the hard work of the Government, supported by the Irish people, in all the hardships they have endured for the past number of years, and for fixing the dreadful mess that had been created. It is a matter to be celebrated that we have made such progress, but we are not out of the woods. That point has been made by both the Minister, Deputy Noonan, and myself. We need to reach the target of a deficit below 3% of GDP next year, and in order to do that, the budgetary arithmetic requires the contribution from the public service through pay reductions that were negotiated and agreed by the public sector unions under the Haddington Road agreement. That will be maintained.

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