Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister for Finance and his officials. I congratulate the Minister on bringing forward the Finance Bill 2003.

I wish to comment on one or two points made by Senator Higgins. The Senator implied that the Celtic tiger could be revived if other parties were in Government, but I do not think such an idea is based on reality. The eight years of exceptional growth enjoyed by this country resulted from a combination of certain exceptional conditions and the fact that the right policies were pursued at the right time. If the right policies are pursued in the future, however, it is unrealistic to expect an annual growth rate of between 8% and 10% over a period of years, even if Fine Gael is in Government. Employment levels in this country are quite good, when one considers the prevailing international conditions. There was no net loss of employment last year; there was a marginal gain.