Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is the reality. There are exceptional factors relating to the aviation industry and certain taxes, as has been explained to this House. The point is that the CSO has said that it is addressing the implications of that. I have made it very clear that from a budgetary point of view, the fiscal space available for spending on our services and on reducing taxes remains as outlined in the summer statement. The Government will continue to act on the projections made by the Department of Finance. One must understand why those figures were what they were. There were specific reasons, and the budget negotiations continue with the EU.

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