It can be argued that trying to do too much at once in the national development programme contributed to driving up inflation, giving us less bang for our buck. Compared to the past, we have a very healthy economy, with positive growth, near full employment, the second lowest public debt in the EU compared to the second highest 15 years ago and a tax system which does not place a huge burden on anyone. We have the conditions for a dynamic economy. The overriding need is to keep the economy on the rails and hold on, as far as we can, to the huge gains of the last five years in what will clearly be much more difficult conditions. It is not a big demand on any one Department, given the huge increases of the last five years, to have to hasten slowly. The maxim of less haste, more speed also applies to economic management.