Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is not about control, but focus on the challenges and issues that must be addressed and the kinds of views that should be presented to the Cabinet for its consideration so that we can make decisions on them. I have never favoured holding endless meetings without a focus in which everybody throws in opinions just for the sake of it. While I am not suggesting this happens at Cabinet meetings, it is far more efficient to set out a number of views, identify the challenges we face and discuss how we will deal with them. The spring economic statement, which will be led by the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, will include a stock take of economic performance, a discussion on the developments taking place in the public finances and how this will fit in with the stability programme update, which is a requirement under European legislation. The statement will set out what the Government feels are the challenges that lie ahead during the coming years.

One of the issues is that the Government has set out to reduce our deficit below 3% this year - it will be well below 3% - and to eliminate it by 2018. This means we need to create 40,000 jobs this year and 40,000 next year and in 2017 and 2018, respectively, to recover all the jobs that were lost during the recession. Tomorrow, the Central Statistics Office, CSO, will publish the live register, and we hope the positive trend will continue. Deputies will be able to contribute to the focus on economic and financial challenges, including the potential risks and challenges that lie ahead. This is where we want the spring economic statement to be focused. Given the progress the country has made, and the sacrifices people have had to make, we do not want to lose the momentum. Our intention is to set out the parameters and secure the future and the recovery so that people all over the country can benefit from it. This will be important in the sense of setting out where we are.

We hope, in 2015, to exit the excessive deficit procedure, look ahead to 2020, hold a public consultation, present our budget, let the independent Fiscal Advisory Council present its views and publish the information leading up to the budget so people can assess its impact and put forward alternative proposals. While the spring economic statement is technical in many ways, it is also political and financial in its setting out of the strategy the Government will follow and our intention not to go backwards but to secure the recovery and move forward. Around the country, in the different sectors, what I see is very encouraging. As I have said on many occasions, the credit goes to the people. However, it is the Government's responsibility to secure the momentum and progress, and this requires clarity and clear decisions. For this reason, I am a very strong supporter of the concept of the EMC.

Deputy Martin asked whether the Tánaiste attends the EMC. She does attend, and contributes very worthily to it. Arising from the meetings, people have a better perspective on the decisions the Cabinet must make. I repeat, it is not a mini Government but a process of streamlining work so the Cabinet can make decisions. The EMC will meet the banks in the period ahead. We have already committed to bringing in a number of changes to the situation in so far as mortgages are concerned. The Government will deal with it in April. The Government has put together a suite of options, including the Insolvency Service of Ireland, ISI. Although the ISI may not have dealt with as many cases as people might like, banks have reached acceptable and satisfactory conclusions in more than 100,000 cases. These settlements had been vetted by the Central Bank, and the vast majority are working satisfactorily.

I hope the process that lies ahead will prove successful and that Deputies on all sides will contribute to it in a way that will make it worthwhile. Everybody will have an opportunity to comment on it. Following it, there will be a process of public consultation, during which people will be entitled to send their views and observations as the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform set out their views regarding the budget, which will be presented by the Minister for Finance. Some time before the summer, the Government must reflect on the capital programme for the coming years, given that there are serious infrastructural deficiencies in various places around the country. There are other programmes that need to be followed through, such as the building of schools and primary care centres. These matters will come before the Government for decision and we hope to deal with them before the summer so everybody can have his or her say and we can discuss the budget in October.

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