An easing of austerity in the October budget has been signalled by Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin.

He said the Government had been using whatever resources it could get to have a direct stimulus across the country in specific projects.

“We will now examine the greatly improved economic platform we have built to ensure we have a budget introduced next year that will, I hope, not only build on the economic progress we have achieved, and maintain it, but will also give relief to people who are really pressed by some of the decisions that were necessary through the economic crisis.’’

He was replying to Fine Gael TD Bernard Durkan, who congratulated Mr Howlin and his colleagues "on their spectacular performance to date in achieving the targets they have achieved in a very difficult situation''. He asked how the domestic economy could be encouraged through generating growth and expenditure.

Mr Howlin said in setting budgetary allocations the Government balanced the requirements of bringing sustainability to the public finances, promoting and supporting economic recovery and protecting the most vulnerable in society.