Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein)

Since 2009 the underlying deficit has shrunk by less than 2%, falling from 11.8% to just over 10%. More cuts in the same vein as those introduced in the past two days affecting the same people will not lead to a better outcome.

We needed a budget today and yesterday that changed the direction of economic policy. We needed a budget that prevented the experience of a lost generation. We needed a budget that changed course on cutting too far and too fast. This is not that budget.