Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

My macro-economic framework, the Fianna Fáil manifesto and the programme for Government contain a provision to cover the additional cost of this proposal, which is prospective from the date of its announcement and which is retrospective only because the Dáil had been dissolved and enactment of the legislation could happen only at the first available opportunity when the new Dáil met. I will not be held responsible to carry the can for speculative adventurism that backfired on those who thought it would be the silver bullet to get them onto the Government benches.