Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

We will defend our fiscal policies and continue to manage the economy responsibly.

Deputy Kenny spoke about election bribes. He should look at his party's programme at the last general election. It was an appalling indictment of an Opposition which had no clear vision of where it was going. The Government will continue to work through the national development plan, the plans we have for research and development which will be central to our economic development agenda, our education and health reforms, an issue we should debate more often in the House regarding the sectional and vested interests which are dictating at the expense of the public good. With resources and reforms there are sustained improvements. Some 3,400 patients are being treated every day in accident and emergency units. This comes to 1.25 million annually.

Where there are problems, let us identify and discuss them. However, let us not conduct a debate, as I have seen it here, continually in an absolutist fashion, on the idea that everything would be rosy tomorrow if the Opposition parties were in government——

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