IRELAND has earned the title "Celtic Tiger" by its economic performance under this Government, the Taoiseach has told the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party.
In an upbeat speech clearly designed to give party members ammunition against critics of Fine Gael's input into this week's Budget, Mr Bruton said that the 2.5 per cent public spending increase this year would be the lowest for years.
Government spending as a percentage of GDP was 38 per cent compared with 50 per cent in the EU as a whole.
Mortgage rates were now at their lowest for 30 years. If they were at the same level as they were under the Fianna Fail/ Progressive Democrat government those on a £40,000 mortgage would now have to find £130 per month more. On employment, the Taoiseach said that the increase of 45,000 jobs last year should be compared with the 33,000 increase in the period from 1960 to 1989.
A further 18,000 people will be out of the tax net while the vast majority of taxpayers will be paying less. This Government had seen the first ever coordinated pro work and pro family strategy adopted and consolidated over two Budgets, he said.