I express my complete confidence in Deputy Bertie Ahern, the greatest Taoiseach the country has ever seen. He has acquired the confidence of people on this island which others tried to achieve but failed. We have two parties which did not have the confidence to ask for the resignation of the Taoiseach prior to the election because they knew it was not an issue and that the people would support the Taoiseach.

The Opposition failed to get the better of the Taoiseach on a political front and is beginning to scrape the bottom of the barrel and trawl through a difficult period in the Taoiseach's life and that of his family, trying to add fuel to a tribunal inquiring into matters completely outside its remit and in the process causing more conspiracy theories among the general public in the hope the Taoiseach will be damaged beyond repair.

Yesterday, I listened to my Fine Gael constituency colleague state on local radio the tribunal should be allowed make its recommendations before tabling such a motion as this. It is not difficult to see he has too much integrity to get a place on the Front Bench of the Fine Gael Party.

The allegations made here are mainly made up of conspiracy and untruths. The Taoiseach never took a penny of the State's. He was never involved in any untoward planning matters. Rather, he is the hardest-working politician this country has ever seen. He lives the life of a very ordinary man and the Opposition can only dream of his record in this House. I hope tonight's motion gets the result it deserves, allowing the Taoiseach return to running the country and keeping the economy affluent as only he has the ability to do.

I stand firmly behind the Taoiseach. Integrity and respect in the House have been taken to a new low by the Opposition.

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