The Taoiseach stated the Government will make decisions based on the mid-year Exchequer returns. I understand these will be published tomorrow. Is the Taoiseach aware of the contents of those returns? Did the Cabinet discuss the figures today? When will he be in a position to outline to the House exactly what he and the Government intend to do to deal with what is indicated by those figures?

For a couple of weeks, the Taoiseach and the Government have been communicating in coded language. More use of this language is evident today. The Taoiseach referred earlier to taking prudent corrective action. Last week he stated that temporary adjustments would be necessary in order to avoid more permanent damage. The Minister for Finance stated on the "News at One" last week that resolute, prudent and determined action would have to be taken. The Taoiseach also informed those at the IBEC dinner last week that it may be relatively painful to apply a corrective course now. When speaking in New Ross, the Minister for Finance indicated that none of this means there will be cutbacks but rather that savings will have to be made.

As the Taoiseach's predecessor might have said, the world, his brother and his mother knows that all of this coded language means that the Government is contemplating making cutbacks and introducing some form of stealth taxes. The only thing we do not know is what exactly the Government means to do.

Will the Taoiseach come clean and inform the Dáil and the people as to the nature of the corrective actions, measures, temporary adjustments and savings the Government intends to announce? Does he intend, prior to the summer recess, to indicate to the Dáil the steps the Government will take and translate the coded language into words we and the public can understand?

To answer Deputy Gilmore directly, the situation is clear. We are experiencing a reduction in tax revenues. As is normal, the Minister for Finance will have informed the Government in general terms about the figures to be released in advance of the publication tomorrow of the Exchequer returns by the Department of Finance. They will be released tomorrow, not today, by that Department, in keeping with convention. As a result of publication of those figures, the Minister for Finance will issue a statement. As the Deputy is aware, we will have a debate next week on the NDP and the economy which will present a good opportunity for the Government to outline the general position. Given that tax revenues will be back from where we expected them to be because of the international financial situation, it will be necessary for us to work to our expenditure targets within the budgetary parameters we have set ourselves. That makes for a challenging time both for the remainder of this year and in respect of the opening position for next year. Decisions will have to be taken in the context of the Estimates for next year's expenditure targets.

This matter will be addressed calmly and sensibly in the context of informing the House in the normal way. Deputies can be assured that the Minister for Finance will be in a position to make a statement to the House next week. It is not for the Government to make decisions on foot of how eminent other financial institutions may be; it must decide on the basis of its own figures which are collated right up to the time of publication. The Government is au fait with the general position and the Minister and his colleagues will determine the broad strategy to be adopted. The Government will make decisions promptly and appropriately and we will discuss them in the House.

I understand the Exchequer figures will be released tomorrow at a press conference.

That is normal.

We are not in a normal situation. We are seeing the most dramatic turnaround in the public finances in a very long time. Will the Minister for Finance come into the House tomorrow to tell us what the Exchequer returns are and the approach the Government intends to take?

It is what the Dáil is for.

It is not credible when for the past couple of weeks the Taoiseach and the Minister have spoken in this coded language and dropped hints all over the place about corrective action, prudent measures, savings and temporary adjustments. Such language is creating the climate for the Government to engage in cutting various programmes and services and, possibly, introducing some stealth taxes. In effect, what the Taoiseach has being doing for several weeks is communicating the preamble of what in effect will be a mini-budget, yet it appears he will not present it to the House. As soon as it goes into recess, he will have a couple of months to put it into practice.

Everybody knows that the public finances have changed. Everybody understands the economic environment is different. Incidentally, this is not an international matter. It is largely due to the Taoiseach's mismanagement of the economy that we are in this hole.

Rubbish.

It is rubbish.

We want the Taoiseach to tell the House what he will do to address the issue instead of presenting all these coded messages and pretending that we will get the figures tomorrow, following which the Government will address what it is going to do. Is he trying to tell us that the Government has not been addressing this issue for quite some time? It is incredible that he does not know, in general terms at least, the steps that will be taken, the programmes that will be hit and the expenditure that will be pared back. We are seeing some of this in practice.

The sick and the handicapped.

Anybody with experience of dealing with Departments or the public service can see what is happening. Will the Taoiseach treat the people like adults and tell us exactly what is happening and what will be done? He should put it on the table and take out the coded language and, instead of allowing the Minister for Finance or his officials to arrange a press conference, he should have the Minister come to the House in order that we can debate the matter.

Hear, hear.

That is real Dáil reform.

The Government makes decisions on the basis of its own figures. We make these decisions after we receive the figures which are being published transparently and will be explained by officials of the Department of Finance. As that is long-established practice, there can be no suggestion from Deputy Gilmore or anybody else of spin. The figures will be published by the Department, which is the norm.

Does the Taoiseach know the figures?

The Government will make decisions——

Bring them here.

Excuse me——

Will there be money?

Please allow the Taoiseach to finish.

The Government will make decisions in regard to the figures at its meeting following their publication and we will come into the House next week to set out our broad budgetary strategy based on them. That is an expeditious, sensible and orderly manner in which to conduct Government business. We will not anticipate those decisions until they are taken. That is the position. The Government has been indicating that, with tax revenues down, we will work within the broad budgetary parameters we have set for ourselves, which means that in the short term, as we know, there will be a deterioration in the public finances this year because tax revenues will not meet the predicted level. Our growth rate will not reach the predicted level because of the situation affecting every country, not only Ireland.

It is not affecting every country.

In regard to——

Bring the figures here.

——an analysis——

There is no European recession.

I am sorry gentlemen.

It is the same spin as in the last general election.

Please allow the Taoiseach to finish.

In regard to an analysis of what is happening in the economy, the drop in output in the residential construction sector has been a major reason for the reduction in growth rates to the current level. That will be announced in a transparent and orderly fashion by the Government.

Will it be debated in the House next week?

That is the orderly way to proceed. We have listened to the various forecasts and will make our figures available to the public tomorrow. The Government has been discussing this matter and will come forward with its decisions following publication of the official figures.

The Government received the figures last week.

We will make our decisions at next week's meeting and then come to the House.

We do not make them off the top of our heads.

The emperor has no clothes.