Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

We have been very successful regarding the national debt.

Senator Ross referred to the ESRI and anyone can criticise and make projections but the Government must make projections also and we will see in 12 months who was right. Certain agencies are always inclined to be slightly pessimistic, negative and conservative but the Government, by its nature, must lay out its policies and face the challenges ahead. The national development plan is the big policy that the Minister for Finance has pledged to finance into the future.

I am amused by Senator Ross's comments, referring to the ESRI as though it were the greatest organisation in the world. I was previously a Minister of State with responsibility for housing and I was concerned about 100% mortgages and so on.There were concerns about how credit had an inflationary effect which could lead to everything ending in tears, etc. I was only a mere Minister of State so I accepted various agencies and some of my own people——