Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes, I am, but it is a continual area of real pressure that my colleagues, in responding to the different issues they face in their Departments, must do that within their expenditure ceilings. They and their Departments are fully committed to doing that but a real risk we face in light of the economic fork in the road at which we find ourselves is that each day different expenditure needs are called for of this Government. Week after week it is asked to spend more money in different areas, and the areas change week after week. We need to ensure that the loser in all of this is not the taxpayer through commitments being made to expenditure that end up being unaffordable with our current levels of taxation. The taxation environment is changing. It could change further as a result of what might happen with Brexit, yet we have political party after political party calling for more money to be spent in particular areas or services to be delivered and arguing that they can be achieved at no cost. That is simply not possible.

As we move into the second half of this year in particular, this will be an area in which we will need to make clear and sensible choices. I will do my bit in this regard and I hope the House will do the same.

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