Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

——the country was doing well when the debt ratio was 120% and we borrowed heavily. He believed that society was better when we were borrowing billions and raising taxes. I congratulate him for joining us. It took him 20 years but I always knew he was a nice person and that he would come around to my way of thinking some time in my lifetime. I thank him again for his concern for the Minister, Deputy Brennan, who is always very pleased that Deputy Rabbitte takes so much notice of what he does at the weekends and, now, what he says mid-week.

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