Feargal Quinn (Independent)

I felt sorry for Deputy Richard Bruton, who had to criticise it, because there was no meat and nothing tasty in it to have a real go.

My main criticism is in the division of the cake. Did the Minister for Finance divide it fairly and equally? I agree with Senator Ryan on this issue. In the Book of Estimates two weeks ago we saw too many examples of financial nit-picking where cutbacks and the new charges referred to by the Fine Gael Party were directed at the less well-off. This is the real challenge we face. The state of the national finances is better, probably considerably so, than the Minister led us to believe when the Book of Estimates was published. The first thing the Minister could have done today was to roll back some of the cutbacks, new charges and increased costs and fairness would demand that he did that.