Eugene Regan (Fine Gael)

The budget was brought forward, there were no ideas but it built up expectations that there would be a budget which would deal with and restore order to the public finances and which, we were told, would be fair and balanced but tough. What we got was a budget that was essentially an attack on the young, the old and those on low incomes. As Senator Boyle stated, it was not thought through. On every policy initiative, from the medical cards to the 1% levy, the education cuts to the parking levy, there is no detail. By bringing forward the budget the Government did not allow time for itself to think through its policies.