Paschal Donohoe (Fine Gael)

I will return to my three questions. If I get an answer to one of them, I will be doing well this morning. The first question relates to the honesty of the budget and the plans for next year. The budget does not include provision for funding for further recapitalisation of Irish banks. A discussion is currently taking place about the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA. It is already becoming apparent that the assumptions in the NAMA business plan for property valuation were too optimistic, that the capital base of Irish banks will be further undermined and that at some point next year they will either have to go to the markets or to the taxpayer for more money. That is not included in the budget assumptions for next year. Will the Leader guarantee that we will not be watching the budget unravel again next year because the same banks that were responsible for ruining our country are looking for more money from the taxpayer?

My second question relates to the jobs test the budget must pass. The Government has spoken repeatedly about the smart economy but the only proposal it has in the budget relating to job creation is a cut in the price of drink. Is this what the Government has been talking about with regard to the smart economy over recent years? What else is in the budget apart from that?

My final question is actually a proposal to the Leader. The most important test the budget had to pass yesterday was whether we will be able to maintain our economic-----