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

It is a fairly general question, and the Deputy knows well how these decisions work in Cabinet. The decision we took earlier this year when there was extra revenue was clear. A substantial sum of money was put into the health services and a number of other areas, including justice and education. The Deputy is well aware of how these processes work.

It is important to recognise, and to repeat, that it is thanks to the decisions that were taken by the previous Government and by this Government that we are seeing the economy continuing to grow. If the economy did not grow, we would not have the money to make that kind of investment in health and other services. The key issue is to continue to ensure there is prudent management and that careful policies are followed, such as those that we have followed since 2011, which will ensure we continue to reduce and eliminate the current budget deficit, balance the budget in 2018 and have budgetary surpluses after that. That gives us and the country a range of choices. I have made clear that it is a combined approach that ensures we can reduce taxes for those who fund all of this, that we invest in public services and that we continue to manage the economy in order that we can continue with the changes in public sector pay and with the process in which we are engaged with the unions which the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, outlined this week. That is the approach.

Cabinet will continue to discuss the areas that need extra budget, as we have done during the past year.

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