John Gerard Hanafin (Fianna Fail)

We stabilised the banking situation in this country. The second job we had to do was to stabilise our finances. There are a number of ways of stabilising finances. We have gone as far as we can go on taxation. We could not tax these people as if they were cows to be milked, or draft animals to be forced to work harder. In fact, they were working as hard as they could. Business was doing the best it could. We recognised that the sturdy animal pushes the cart. We are giving recognition to that fact now by making cuts. There was no alternative. If an alternative proposal had the acceptance of all sides of this House, I am sure we would have taken it. If there was a proposal for making cuts that stood up, I am sure Fianna Fáil would have put it forward.