Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I do not want to talk down the economy, nor do I want to return to days of high unemployment or rising emigration. Neither do I want to see the type of terror we witnessed on the faces of families whose homes were about to be repossessed. However, there is a difference between talking it down and ignoring it. It seems the Government is in denial. The economy is in a serious situation, and people are worried about it. When people ask themselves what happened last week, I can explain it. There is an apprehension in the pit of the stomach of the nation as regards how matters are going. People are worried about their jobs, businesses, the country and their children. They see prices going up every day and the €70 or more it costs to fill the car with petrol compared to €50, 12 months ago.

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