This week's Budget is a crucial step on Ireland's road to recovery. We have to show the international markets that we are capable of getting our economy back on track. Confidence is the gold standard in today's global economy. Our actions are already improving international perceptions of Ireland, and will help us to continue to attract the investment on which we depend. Read some international reactions to the Budget here:http://www.fiannafail.ie/reactionsHowever, the Budget involves decisions which will, for obvious reasons, be unwelcome to many people around the country. Reducing our deficit, curtailing expenditure, and restoring balance to the public finances will not be easy. This Budget is difficult for everyone. These steps must be taken, and taken now. It would certainly not be fair to saddle future generations - our children - with more debt.I'm acutely aware of the difficulty and the pain these cuts will cause people. We had to take these difficult decisions so we can move forward again. We do this, not because we want to, but because we must for the good of the country.It is a priority for this Party to protect existing jobs and create new ones. The introduction of a new employer PRSI exemption for new employees, which will reduce the cost of creating new jobs, will help to get the economy moving again.We are also prioritising projects with the most immediate positive impact on jobs and growth. This Budget is the start of a new phase - where we begin to create sustainable jobs as the global economy begins to pick up.You can find out more about how the Budget will affect you and your family and the steps we are taking to get Ireland back on the road to economic recovery here:http://www.fiannafail.ie/budget2010Ireland can come through these testing times. We will be strengthened for the future, having learned the lessons of the unexpected full-scale crisis, both domestic and global, that we have had to face. Realism and solidarity will help us through the difficult times, and renew our confidence for the future.
Yours sincerely,Brian Cowen, T.D.Taoiseach
