Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

My colleague, Deputy McHugh will share time with me. What intrigues me is that the Government seems to be surprised at the situation in which it finds itself. The braver dogs in the street have been barking the economic issues for the last five or six years, not the last couple of weeks. The few unembedded, economic journalists spoke out and got little credit for it. They were accused of being unpatriotic and talking down the economy. The evidence was there; from the time the first benchmarking was introduced there was a clear indication that things were gone wrong. That was introduced because a short time after the partnership agreement, it was found that it was falling asunder. That was the signal seven years ago. I cannot understand why it took the Government so long to recognise it. It is because it was getting in the lolly. It was coming in piles from the housing and development sector because of VAT and other taxes.

The Government did nothing. It waited and milked the economy for everything it had. The building industry boomed, the Government had more money to spend and it splashed it around.

There is nothing corrective in the proposals that have come before the House in the last few days. I have listened carefully to all that has come from that side of the House and not a single correction to the economy has taken place. There are cuts, just a little hurt to remind the public that this is severe and will hurt them more for a little longer. "Health cuts hurt the old, the sick and the handicapped" was an election slogan some years ago. It may have been even before the Ceann Comhairle's time. I remember it well.

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