Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

Hold on a second, I want to get this exactly right. The reason those guys are sitting there with no friends is that they have sold their souls to Fianna Fáil. They have lost all credibility. All they must think about is people like me who would always vote Fine Gael, Labour and Green. I would always vote Green. This time I said, "No way, no chance," because they have no credibility. They have sold their souls to Fianna Fáil and that is why people will have nothing to do with them. That is why the Green Party has done so badly.

The only way out is for them to say to this Government that they have principles by which they stand and that for the Green Party, for the cause of the environment and the future of this country they will walk from the dark side and give the leadership that the country needs. What the people want is a new Government. They want a Government with a new mandate. They want policies on which they have signed off. They want to know what will happen.

The people we met at the doors stated that they know times are tough and that there must be change but they had not been asked for their opinion. They stated that they do not agree with the cuts and that most of all they want change. They know the hard times are here and there are tougher times to come, but they do not want the Government to continue. They want a new Government under Fine Gael-Labour to bring about the change that is needed.

The people are worried and many are unemployed. They have not been consulted. They are anxious and they are angry. They are aware that there is no mandate for what will happen. They want to give a mandate to a new Government and, unfortunately, that will not happen here today because the Greens will stick with what they have. People want hope, not despair. They want work, not dole. They want a future. They do not want depression. Above all, they want choice and change. They are not getting the choice because the Government will not go to the country and, therefore, they will not get the change they so desperately and badly want.

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