Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

I took the 7.38 a.m. train from Coolmine Station this morning. I try to use public transport as often as possible but sometimes the will does not meet the expectation. It is the first time I have travelled on this particular train for some six weeks and I immediately noticed that there was plenty of space in the carriage. My first thought was that additional carriages had been provided, but I discovered on disembarking at Connolly Station that this was not the case. Although I am aware of all the statistics, it was then that I was struck by the extent to which the recession is being reflected on train services and main streets. For the first time in four years, there are seats on the train in the morning.

After a breakfast meeting, I went to a jeweller's shop to get my watch repaired. I walked back through Powerscourt, down the lane with all the jewellery shops, along Grafton Street and on to Dawson Street. I counted 14 signs on this journey indicating premises for sale or to let. This is a remarkable sight in central Dublin and gives an indication of how far the situation has deteriorated in just two or three months.

This is why I find the Government's counter-motion so strange. It is Alice in Wonderland territory, particularly in respect of the commendation of the Government on its prudent management of the economy. Whatever the Government has been, it has certainly not been prudent. Not even its supporters would make that claim. A borrowing requirement of 8% or 9% of GDP next year does not arise as a result of prudent governance. Many economies are experiencing recession but none within the European Union or the OECD will have a borrowing requirement as large. Prudence does not lead to a deficit of that magnitude. It is worrying that the Government considers itself to have been prudent in its management of the economy.

The Government motion also notes its commitment to tackling inflation in areas over which it has direct influence. Leaving the regulators aside, where the Government has indirect influence, the areas in which it has direct influence include health charges, which are increasing by 52% this year, somewhere between 50 times inflation and infinity times inflation. As I said yesterday, CIE fares have increased by 5% and Luas fares by 4%. The charge for processing naturalisation applications by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has doubled. Every Government charge has increased by at least ten times the rate of inflation. It is wonderland stuff for the Government to state that the charges over which it has direct influence are not increasing.

The Government also congratulates itself on its continued investment in the national development plan. Admittedly, our allocation for capital investment is substantially greater than that of other countries. However, the reality is that funding for the national development plan will be reduced by 10%, or €1 billion, in 2009.

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