Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)

Tá áthas orm deis a bheith agam cúpla focal a rá faoi seo. No matter what side of the House we are on, we all agree at this stage that there is a very sudden downturn in the economic situation in this country. It took the Government some time to recognise that and to try to face up to it because the alarm bells had been ringing for some considerable time.

It is almost unbelievable that from June 2007 to June 2008, more than 55,000 people became unemployed in this country. This is probably a record number for one year. I do not think it ever happened before, certainly not since I or perhaps anyone else entered this House.

Inflation in this country is well above the European norm. The rate of 4% or 5% is three times the European norm and will make our production costs more expensive. We are losing jobs, mar atá a fhios ag an tAire, fiú hamháin sna Gaeltachtaí. The jobs were not lost to the world economy. They went to eastern Europe, north Africa and the Far East and that was a contributory factor.

As my colleague, Deputy English, noted, the national debt is down. However, every young man and woman in this country for the next two or three generations will be paying the huge personal debt incurred because the price of housing in the past ten years has increased by almost 400%. I could not believe it. I am talking about the price of a simple home in this country. As far as I know, it did not happen anywhere else in the world.

At the same time, we were building 90,000 housing units every year for a population of 4.5 million. The UK, which is our next door neighbour and has a population of 50 million or 60 million, was building 160,000 new houses per year. We are talking about 160,000 units for 60 million and 90,000 units for 4.5 million. This is unsustainable.

The Government allowed this to continue year after year simply because, as Deputy English said, it was getting the money hand over fist. It was very pleasant being in Government during the past ten years. If any problem arose, the money that was coming in was thrown out like snuff at a wake. No preparation was made for - fá choinne lá na coise tinne. An dtuigeann an tAire é sin? Is é an botún atá déanta ag an Rialtas ná dearmad a dhéanamh airgead a chur i dtaisce le haghaidh lá na coise tinne, agus de thoradh ar sin táimid san áit ina bhfuilimid.

What happened yesterday lacked courage. The Government was very vague and had no targets only ball park figures. The only definite decision I can find in it relates to overseas aid which will be cut by €45 million. This is a very cheap shot. Any Government, or indeed any fool, could come up with that. I do not like saying it but the poor Africans who depend on this sort of money do not have any vote and will not have any effect. The Minister should name one other definite decision there and I will back down but that is the only one I can find. It is a real cheap shot.

Maidir le mo chontae fhéin, tá ardú de 27% tagtha ar an dífhostaíocht le bliain anuas. Tá lúcháir orm go bhfuil an t-Aire anseo. Beidh sé in ann déanamh cinnte de nach gcuirtear isteach ar Údarás na Gaeltachta, atá ag déanamh oibre iontach tábhachtach. Tá súil agam go gcuirfí na hacmhainní ar fáil fá choinne an obair atá á dhéanamh ag an túdarás sna Gaeltachtaí. In respect of health services in Donegal, the day unit at Letterkenny General Hospital is being closed down and 20 beds will be closed down indefinitely. These are more knocks from the local HSE area for the general welfare of the people of Donegal. What about the Ballybofey-Stranorlar bypass and other infrastructural projects in the county? Will they suffer? What about all these schools on the waiting list? Tá Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair ag lorg halla spóirt agus tá muintir Gort a' Choirce agus an Bhun Beag ag lorg scoileanna úra. Tá cúpla scoil á lorg i mBealach Féich agus i Srath an Úrláir. What effect will these so-called cuts have on these projects for which we are waiting?

It is very easy being in Government when times are good but it is a different matter when they are difficult. The Government has presided over what has happened in the past ten years so it is the Government's responsibility to ensure this mess is cleared up as soon as possible without hammering the less well-off and the vulnerable sections of our society.

See this speech in context