Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Without hiding from the fact that this is a tough budget, it is part of a process of restoring not only our pride but our sovereignty. It is about giving Irish people the chance to realise their goals and ambitions and restoring the international credibility of our reputation. Ireland in 2011 and Ireland going into 2014 are two very different places. This is something I am proud of but I will not brag about it. We have done our job and will continue to do so. We will not seek praise or admiration. This Government just gets on with it.

I ask people to look at the direction this country is taking. Some 3,000 jobs are being created each month, as opposed to the 7,000 per month that were being lost only a short while ago under the previous Administration, which has supporters in this Chamber. Live register numbers are going down, not up. Property prices are slowly recovering. Ireland still remains a very attractive place in which to invest. I ask the people not to judge us on one budget alone but on the economic direction in which we have taken the country, and on a brighter future. It has been hard, but we are now saying goodbye to the troika. We are on the way and recovery has begun.

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