McCreevy compared to both Fagin and jaded singer

The Minister for Finance has been compared both to the "light-fingered" fictional pickpocket Fagin and to a jaded recording artist who relies on "regurgitated greatest hits" rather than new material.

As the Dáil began its debate on the Finance Bill, which gives effect to the provisions of the Budget, Mr McCreevy was also accused of "flying blind" on a number of crucial challenges and creating a Finance Bill for the "insiders" of Irish society.

However, Mr McCreevy said that as Minister for Finance "I have managed in successive Budgets and Finance Bills to create a low tax rate environment. This policy has boosted investment and created jobs. Probably the most telling statistic in recent years is that over the past six years the numbers at work have increased by over 300,000. Unemployment today remains at historically low levels."

Mr Paudge Connolly (Ind, Cavan-Monaghan) said Mr McCreevy had "almost cracked the fine art" of "taking money from people and giving it to others without either group noticing". He had done so "to the point where I could shortly see him giving lectures at the Fagin School of economics. People do not realise the money is gone. It has gone silently and swiftly."

The Green Party's finance spokesman, Mr Dan Boyle said that the Minister might argue "if it ain't broke don't fix it", but "I would prefer to liken him to a recording artist who, instead of producing new material, relies on regurgitated greatest hits, hits that do not give added pleasure.

"Those 'hits' included a failure to increase personal tax credits, and "a continued heavy reliance on stealth taxes".

The debate continues.