Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are reflecting on the budget, which was politically clever. It ticked all the boxes in respect of a pre-election budget. It contained some good measures but overall it was a missed opportunity. All the Government Members are commending small interest groups that have benefitted from the budget, whether they are families or schools or specific projects, but overall we still have a significant budgetary deficit. The additional money Government Members are talking about is borrowed money which will still have to be paid for by the taxpayer in future years. The Government has a deficit, not a surplus.

The budget was a missed opportunity. The Government spoke about political reform and reforming our State institutions and this was the budget in which to do that. We often hear the phrase, "Never waste a good recession". This recession has been wasted by the Government because all that has happened is all the expenditure lines have remained the same with some tinkering around the edges. There was no radical reform of banking, including levying financial institutions. It will be proven in time that all this budget was about was 2016 and the next election and not about transforming our country or setting a 20 year target for where we want to be. That equates to a missed opportunity.

I support the call for a debate on Irish Water. That is the elephant in the room.