Following a two-day debate the Book of Estimates for 2003 has been passed by the Dáil with 79 TDs voting in favour and 61 against.
As expected, backbench Fianna Fáil TDs, some of whom had publically criticised elements of the spending plans for 2003, refused to break ranks and all voted with the Government.
Earlier today those same backbenchers were told by the Taoiseach Mr Ahern that the decision to abolish the first-time buyers' grant would not be rescinded.
At an extended Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting the approach taken by the Minister for Finance Mr McCreevy was criticised by a number of backbench TDs.
However, the Minister for the Environment Mr Cullen informed the meeting the decision to abolish the grant was the right one. He also said the grant would not apply to those who had paid a house-booking deposit before the estimates were published last Friday.
He suggested that house prices would in time reflect the abolition of the grant and as a result, first-time buyers would suffer little or no loss.