Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

-----and would have sold its members' mothers to keep itself in political power for another day.

Let us be realistic in the debate on State assets. The Government announced a proposal yesterday. Let us have a reasonable and mature debate on it. State assets are owned by the people, but they are not State antiques and do not need to remain in situ forever. They must be put to their best use for the people. I hope that the Opposition will stop rewriting history and join with us in having a constructive debate on how best to protect the taxpayer and return the unemployed to work through the considered and useful disposal of State assets. What I heard this morning from the so-called Leader of the Opposition in the Dáil was pathetic. The people are not stupid. They know what happened last year and two years ago. They know why and by whom this country was bankrupted.