TAOISEACH Brian Cowen expects the budgetary process, including the Finance Bill and Social Welfare Bill, to be completed in February.

Mr Cowen told Labour leader Eamon Gilmore: “I would expect certainly by February, in the month of February we should have everything completed. That would be my hope.”

The Green Party said it wanted the general election to be held in the second half of January. Mr Cowen told the Dáil that “it’s a realistic timescale during that month”, of February, signalling an election in late February or March.

During Leaders’ Questions, Mr Cowen also said of the budget on December 7th that “the greatest statement of confidence we could make is to adopt such a budget with the correction of the magnitude that we’re speaking of. And it’s a matter of personal responsibility for us all to decide if this country is going to put through the budget or not”.

Mr Gilmore had called on the Taoiseach to state the deadline for the process and said it was not in the national interest that “this budgetary process is prolonged to the end of March” and have “three or four months of instability, doubt and lack of clarity”.

Mr Gilmore said last year while the Social Welfare Bill was dealt with before Christmas, the Finance Bill, which gives effect to all other provisions of the budget, was not finalised until March 25th.

Mr Gilmore also expressed concern about whether the Government would have the numbers to pass the budget. “One of the parties in Government have already semi-detached themselves . . . and we’ve heard statements from some of the Independent deputies who have been loyally supporting your Government over the last three years, suggesting that loyalty and support is at least in doubt.”

He said to the Taoiseach: “You are now in a situation you have constitutional responsibility for bringing forward and putting through a budget rests with the Government.” Mr Gilmore asked “do you have a majority to put through the budget?”

Mr Cowen said: “We have to discharge our duty and will come to the House with the budget and I hope there are sufficient people in this House that can see that it is in our national interest to see that the budget is passed”. Mr Cowen said discussions with the IMF and EU institutions were based on the publication of the four-year plan and ratifying the budget.

He added that “I believe there will be support for this budget”.