Fine Gael briefing: Fine Gael has conceded it may have to scale back some of its election manifesto commitments if the economy takes a downturn over the next five years.
The party's deputy leader and finance spokesman, Richard Bruton, also said yesterday Fine Gael would look at the possibility of streamlining the HSE if in government, but stressed a decision to restructure it would be one for a future cabinet.
Launching a strong attack on the Government's record of "broken promises", Mr Bruton said while some Fine Gael commitments might have to be revisited if the economic climate changed, the 14 top commitments of party leader Enda Kenny would be delivered on in government.
"We have said from the very outset if the economy doesn't grow as rapidly we will have to scale back our commitments," he said at the party's daily briefing.
Mr Bruton listed broken Government promises, including a pledge to end hospital waiting lists, an extension of medical cards to 200,000 more people and a metro to Dublin airport by 2007. They were forgotten as soon as Fianna Fáil sat back into their "soft ministerial seats" after the last election, he said.
He said the 14 main Fine Gael commitments - which include stamp duty reform, tax relief for single-income families, the provision of 2,300 extra hospital beds, and 2,000 more gardaí - would be honoured. These priorities would cost €3.7 billion, with the total cost of Fine Gael commitments coming to €8.3 billion.
Mr Bruton said this compared with the Fianna Fáil priority which is the National Development Plan, which is costing a total of €184 billion.
He said Fine Gael recognised it was not just about the level and rate of growth of spending, but about how we spend the money. "We will scrutinise and publish evaluations so there will not be a repeat of e-voting."
Fine Gael's top priority would be 2,300 more acute hospital beds and would place emphasis on maintaining public beds for public patients. Private hospitals treated people on their ability to pay and do not deal with A&E caseloads or elderly people with conditions needing care that does not last days but three or four weeks.