Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister, Deputy O'Dea. I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on the Finance Bill, which is the Minister's fifth, and I also welcome many of the measures therein. Since the budget the context has changed slightly. Economic growth has performed below trend but the economic outlook is still positive. The Government is taking into account the changing environment and is prudently ensuring we maintain our competitiveness and our robust economy.

I am always amused when debates such as this take place. I suppose it is the nature of the Opposition to say the economy has been mismanaged and that there has been under-investment, over-taxation and a blindness to the real issues of the day.