Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)

I believe everything is not all right and that a change of Government is the only way to change the current political culture. People were rightly shocked by the recent revelations of the Moriarty tribunal which clearly indicated that the Taoiseach was engaged in wrongful practices. Are we satisfied that it is all right now when the Moriarty tribunal exposed the reality of a Taoiseach who personally netted the equivalent of €45 million from business while serving in office?

Are we comfortable with the statement of the current Taoiseach that the signing of blank cheques was all right and that it was the wholesale practice at the time? Was the signing of blank cheques a wholesale practice in each of our community groups, caring organisations or businesses? Did the current Taoiseach, in any practice of accountability, account for the signing of cheques at the end of a financial year in the same way as those community groups or even the smallest pitch and putt club? It is outrageous for anyone to insist that was normal practice and, as a former accountant, the Taoiseach should state clearly that it was wrong.

Do we now accept the words of George Colley that, under the leadership of Charles J. Haughey, there were low standards in high places? Does the recent report of Mr. Justice Moriarty not indicate that a political mafia operated in Ireland under Charles J. Haughey? Does that mafia still exist, as does the Mafia in Italy? Does anyone believe the Taoiseach, Deputy Ahern, when he says he did not know the purpose of the blank cheques being cashed? Should we care? Does anybody care? It is time for the people to take note of these matters because recent revelations confirm that when people were paying 65p tax in the pound, political leaders in Fianna Fáil were having a very good time at their expense. That is not all right.

The political culture that has been laid bare in recent times requires urgent and effective eradication. We need a government that removes once and for all the political culture of the Haughey era. I believe that culture exists to the present day. When I do not hear outright and unambiguous condemnation of the actions of former leaders, I believe it is proof that the culture still exists.

It is essential to the political well-being of our country that there is a change of government in 2007. Fine Gael, with our colleagues in the Labour Party and our democratic allies, will continue to provide the people with a democratic choice that will remove Fianna Fáil from government for the next five years. We will ask the people to break the link with the Haughey era, and especially with this Government and the Taoiseach, who only recently described the late Mr. Haughey as a patriot to his fingertips.

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