Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

He did not even have the cuteness of Mr. McCreevy, failing even to introduce these new measures earlier this year when they might have been effective. Instead, we are left facing into the abyss on the economic front. Contrary to all advice, the Taoiseach introduced four inflationary budgets which pumped up the housing bubble and drove price inflation far higher than elsewhere in the eurozone, thus destroying the competitiveness of our businesses.

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