Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

I recall having a conversation with a former Fine Gael Taoiseach. We were discussing the various economic development initiatives in 1987, and one of them had not come through. With the best will in the world one has to be prepared to take risks and some will not work out.

Take the assertion that Luas is a financial disaster. Luas is an enormous public and financial success. The budget line for the current Luas subsidy is zero this year. Financial disaster my foot. Frankly, I have no faith whatsoever in the document amounting to tinkering and cosmetic proposals by which Fine Gael is attempting to suggest that somehow or other it will get better value for money by setting up various bureaucratic committees and procedures. I do not believe this adds up. It is talking about holding back 2% of the budget to concentrate on strategic priorities. Does that mean money will be taken off certain things that are being funded at the moment and held for strategic priorities? Perhaps it would be interesting for the electorate to know where the 2% budget cuts will fall.

In general I regret that with a fine agency such as this we have been subjected to a rather poor script from the Fine Gael research office. It is trying to make a political issue out of the agency instead of discussing seriously its worthwhile work. I have much confidence in this agency. Senior people have been at the job for nearly 20 years. Their results have been very good and they have made their contribution to the Celtic tiger economy as it existed up until the first quarter of 2001, as well as to the still very dynamic economy that we have today.