Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

When the time comes, I hope ways will be found to help the film industry. The state of schools has been raised and I hope the PPPs will help in that regard. I warmly welcome the welfare increases, which are fully in line with or slightly above inflation. In the past child benefit was the first thing not to be increased. As recently as 1995, I recall a 2.5% increase, including old age pensions. A €535 million package is a very substantial social package, which was only exceeded last year.

The point has been made here that this is an ideologically driven budget, demonising the Minister, Deputy Charlie McCreevy. Some better understanding is needed of the process of how a budget is put together. This is a Government budget. I spoke to the Taoiseach and he is personally pleased with the budget. There were many people involved in drawing it up and much of the ground work was done by officials of the Department of Finance and others. It is childish to demonise the Minister for Finance. He and the Government are to be congratulated on a good budget. I thank the Department of Finance for its excellent work.