Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

If Deputy's Gilmore's premise was logical we would have had a general election after the local elections in 1985, and likewise in 1991. In every local election, except probably in 1967, the Government of the day did not win and its parties returned with less representation in local authorities. The same is true of the European Parliament elections since 1979 when we began to directly elect European parliamentarians. If Deputy Gilmore's logic was correct, that would not have been the case and we would have had a different Government every two years.

The mandate received by this Government, as with any Government formed after a general election, is for a five-year period. The reason we have a mandate for five years is to enable Governments to get on with taking the necessary decisions that have to be taken. I am prepared to put my political reputation on the line at the end of that mandate in 2012, having had the opportunity to exercise our authority as a Government for the completion of that mandate and to do what is necessary for the country to bring us from an unprecedentedly difficult and swift change of economic fortunes that has come about for many reasons - not one reason - which we can debate in the House today and tomorrow.

We hear, listen and accept unreservedly the decisions of the people last Friday on who would be their representatives in local authorities and the European Parliament. As a democrat I accept that, and I also accept that the mandate of the Government runs until 2012 and that we must get on with the job because the people have seen the electoral contest and the campaigns that have taken place and have heard the political talk, left, right and centre, throughout the country. What we have to do now is get on with the job of government. As long as the Government has a majority in this House to conduct the policies it puts forward and enacts, everyone who is a democrat must accept that is the position, according to the Constitution of this country.

When the mandate runs out in 2012 I will put the case for the Government to the people. We will all put the case for the Government based on its performance over that period. In the meantime, people expect us to get on with the job and that is what we are going to do. We will have a debate in this House on an ongoing basis on the real policy choices or, if a coherent alternative is being put forward, of which there is no sign, we could have a debate on that as well. In the meantime, we will continue to do what we believe to be right by the country.

I accept the election outcome has had political implications for my party and for my colleagues in Government. We accept the verdict of the people on the local authority and European Parliament elections. We will now get on with the business of Government. That is our job and that is what we will do.

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