Dan Boyle (Green Party)

The issuing of the ESRI report has confused the issue of what the Government must do and what the political system must address in dealing with the budgetary crisis. It has given the impression that somehow we can delay the inevitable. What has been suggested in the report is akin to saying that if one has a 15 year mortgage, one can turn it into a 25 year one and that one would pay less every month, but at the end of the day one would pay more. We do not have choices in the matter; neither would a Government comprising other political parties elected after a general election nor a national Government. Meeting the target of 3% by 2014 has been agreed with the European Commission and by the two main Opposition party leaders who met my party leader and the Taoiseach yesterday. We are obliged to attempt to meet that deadline and it must be done by reducing expenditure and introducing new and different taxes. There is no other analysis and there are no easier ways to do it. Everything done by whatever politician in whatever political party in whatever form of government will result in these decisions and massive unpopularity but I hope in the betterment of the country. Until everyone understands these essential truths, debates in this House essentially will be meaningless.