The Taoiseach has rejected criticism of the Government's economic record in the Dáil. Bertie Ahern also ruled out the privatisation of the ESB in the short term. He was responding to questions from Opposition leaders, who said the ESRI report indicated that the Government had failed to control public spending and would now have to borrow significant amounts.
With the clock ticking on its remaining life, the Dáil today heard a rehearsal for the economic arguments which will dominate the election campaign.
Fine Gael leader Michael Noonan said that the ESRI report clearly showed that the Government's policies were unsustainable and that public expenditure was totally out of control. "Under the present administration, the party is over, the kitty is empty and the next Government is going to be left to pick up the pieces," said Mr Noonan.
Labour leader Ruairi Quinn said the Taoiseach had told his Ard Fheis that there would be no return to borrowing, and that services could be improved without paying for them. "The official position of the Fianna Fáil party at the Ard Fheis has been overtaken by events and can be binned," said Mr Quinn.
The Taoiseach insisted that the ESRI report showed that the economy was heading back into a growth cycle, although he acknowledged that the Government would have to continue to be careful in economic management.
"It is quite clear that over the life of the next administration, we will have to continue to be as careful as we have been in the life of this administration," said Mr Ahern. "You really want to congratulate me on the way we have managed the economy," he added.
The Opposition leaders also raised the Progressive Democrats manifesto commitment to privatise the ESB. The Taoiseach said he did not believe the company was in a position to be sold off at present.
