Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

At a broader level, this budget comes at a critical time for this economy. After successive years of taking money out of this economy this is the last of the austerity budgets. This Government has made a commitment on that point. I believe that we are at a turning point in the history of this country. The Tánaiste, Deputy Gilmore, said recently, "We are now creating 3,000 new jobs every month, the economy is seeing modest but all-important growth, our national finances are largely back on track, Irish exports have now exceeded even their pre-crisis levels and we are about to successfully exit an EU/IMF bailout."