Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I am glad Deputy Kennedy has piped up. After ten years of what is alleged to have been the greatest era of development in the history of the State, the Government has awarded a 3% increase in social welfare payments, which is equivalent to the rate of increase introduced by Mr. De Rossa in 1997 when there was good reason to limit it. Government Deputies who in recent years boasted that the Government was acting like Santa Claus should have known this day was approaching because the relevant information was available to them.

When the Taoiseach informed the House that the Opposition promised A, B and C during the most recent general election campaign, he failed to mention that the Government had all the facts and figures at its disposal. It had inside information whereas the Opposition had second-hand information. The Government's intention was clearly to get past the general election and it succeeded using a stroke of genius. The figures available at the time were misleading and continued to be misleading until a couple of weeks ago. Even today, the Opposition cannot be certain that the information it receives is accurate. The Minister for Finance was unable to assure the House about the veracity of information on the banking system and is unlikely to be able to do so in the next couple of weeks. However, that information will emerge in time.

Is it not appalling that after the so-called Celtic tiger era our schools continue to have prefabricated structures in which, in some cases, the parents and grandparents of the current generation of school children were educated. After ten years of the Celtic tiger roaring in the concrete jungle, the Government has nothing more to offer young children than the same prefabricated structures and overcrowded classes. This is in direct conflict with the promises made by Government parties during and in the aftermath of the general election campaign.

Unfortunately, for reasons of time I am unable to discuss the motions as they relate to other Departments.

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