Vol. 483 No. 1
71 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for Finance whether he will establish debt reduction targets particularly in view of his stated opinion that we should be using the current economic growth to reduce the debt burden; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19616/97]
I can confirm my opinion that we should avail of the current economic expansion to start making inroads into the burden which the national debt imposes on the taxpayer. This is a view which my colleagues in Government share. Accordingly, in our Action Programme for the Millennium, the Government committed itself to tighter management of the economy so as to maximise the long-term potential for growth, jobs, social inclusion and improved living standards for all. In pursuing this objective, our programme also identified a number of key priorities, including running a current budget surplus and the elimination of Exchequer borrowing over the next two to three years, if present conditions continue, so as to reduce the burden of the national debt. In my forthcoming Budget Statement, I will inform the House of the progress which I have already made and which I hope to make in delivering on those priorities.
