Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Government promised to keep taxes down, but instead it has delivered 34 new stealth taxes. I could refer to the failure to deliver a new terminal at Dublin Airport, to complete the introduction of the penalty points system for road traffic offences and to deal with the issue of class sizes.

As the Minister with responsibility for this country's purse strings, does the Minister for Finance accept that the Government's record comprises a series of missed chances of enormous proportions? This tired and jaded Government shoves the same old problems aside because it is unable to deal with them. Does the Minister, Deputy Cowen, not accept some responsibility for the overrun of €4 billion in the cost of transport infrastructure? Although overspending on medical cards has doubled, 61,000 fewer people are in receipt of medical card cover. After eight years in power, three of which have been since the last general election, does the Minister agree that the matters I have mentioned constitute a sad indictment of a Government that has lost its way? Some members of the Government have become arrogant and distant from the electorate. They are looking forward to a long rest in opposition, after the people give their verdict at the next general election, because they are tired and jaded.

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