Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

In general, the public is now receiving one beating after another for something it did not do or call for, but unfortunately the Government abdicated its responsibilities through mismanagement. The Government continually said that the fundamentals of the economy were correct. That phrase has gone now, however, to be replaced by "We are all responsible". The Government wants to share the burden with the Opposition and every poor victim in the community. In a moment of generosity, the Government wants to share its incompetence with everybody in the country. What an appalling scenario.

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