Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is about creating jobs, so that people can look forward to a better life. It is about using the results of our hard-earned stability to improve our lives, better our communities and plan ahead with confidence. I said last year that the budget marked a turning point - the end of the era of austerity budgets.

Conclusion

At the election in 2011, this Government made two key promises. We promised we would fix the public finances and restore growth to our economy.

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