James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

—— and who are stuck in traffic for hours on end. Shame on the Minister for the way he has behaved here tonight. I assure him and his party that in the next general election they will walk the plank in the same manner as the Progressive Democrats walked it after the last general election. The people are sick of its behaviour since it got into Government. Shame on the Minister for imposing this tax. I know the Minister cannot guarantee when local authorities meet in the coming months that they will not have to introduce higher local charges, higher business rates etc. on the local community because he has failed to deliver to them in the run up to the budget. The Minister has let us down. Infrastructure throughout the country is very poor.

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