John Kelly (Labour) | Oireachtas source

We all know that the budget had to include some austerity measures in order that we might get back on some kind of track. Privately, Fianna Fáil colleagues inform me that social welfare needed to be cut. However, they have not indicated the elements of social welfare which they believe should be cut. Privately, they also state that the level of social welfare spending is outrageous. We protected baseline rates of social welfare. In order to make savings in respect of social welfare, it was, therefore, necessary to tamper with other aspects. Will Fianna Fáil provide us with an alternative? As Senator Gilroy stated, Fianna Fáil's pre-budget submission was not costed by the Department of Finance. It may have been costed by Senator Leyden and a few others who appear to know everything but it was certainly not costed by the Department of Finance.