' I was reared in a pub – as a young fellow, serving in the pub I learnt far more there about human nature than I learnt in any university or school.… - Brian Cowen

We have seen already how resistant public opinion is, firstly to comprehension of the new paradigm in which we have to operate; and secondly, to the rationale behind the decisions we have had to take.

However, we must not lose sight of the fact that the fundamentals of the economy are still good.

That deterioration, if you like, has to be addressed in the context of the Government being prepared to look at further programmes to see what way we can ensure that going into next year, as challenging as it may be, to see in what way we can seek to help stabilise the finances further.