James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I want to correct a number of misapprehensions about this debate. Fine Gael sought to table the motion during Private Members' time, but the Government decided to make it a Government motion, thereby moving the discussion on the Ryan report to the following two days. None the less, this is an important confidence motion on the Government. It is time that Members on the Government side listen to the people, who have spoken clearly. People have had enough of the bungling Brians and the rest of the Government. It has lost its way and, a long time ago, it lost its moral compass.

Regarding the economy's situation, 500,000 jobs will be lost by the end of the year and, according to the ESRI, another 300,000 may be lost next year. This amounts to 800,000 jobless people, a truly frightening prospect. The public finances have suffered the worst deterioration of any EU country. This year, we will borrow €20 billion. Fianna Fáil has kept Anglo Irish Bank going instead of winding it down, which was suggested by Fine Gael some time ago and by me before Christmas. It is a salient point, given the stark choices that governments must make. It is during times of crisis and difficulty that one's priorities are discovered and core values are exposed. The Government's core values have been to protect the banks to the detriment of our health, education and many other services. In every attempt, it has failed to reform the public service. It has allowed a regulator to fall asleep at the wheel, as he took no action when action was badly needed.

This side of the House has been accused of lacking any real solutions. It is the most disingenuous accusation yet. Unlike many other parties that are long on ideologies and short on solutions, we have tabled solutions for the health service, third level education fees and the creation of 100,000 jobs through the green economy, which is not the preserve of the Green Party. Many people in industry are looking at it and have tried to erect wind turbines, but they must pay extraordinary fees to connect to the grid. For example, I know of someone who is proposing to build three turbines but has had a connection fee of approximately €1.75 million indirectly intimated to them. Such fees stymy any sort of effort at building a proper reserve of green energy. I will ask direct questions of the Minister in this regard.

It is important that the Government move on something of concern to the people, namely, its approach to the economy and NAMA. Some €7.5 billion has already gone to Anglo Irish Bank, which has more or less intimated that it will be back for more and that it will let the Government know when. The taxpayers' cheque book is to remain open at the bank's behest.

Let us consider the political reality of the situation. The people spoke loudly and clearly. Mr. David Healy, adviser to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, lost his council seat. Surely alarm bells went off. If they were not ringing in the Minister's office, his hearing aid must have been switched off. Perhaps he was asleep again or he has developed selective deafness, which is dangerous when one should be listening to the people. The Minister of State, Deputy Trevor Sargent, knows that he lost his councillor in Fingal.

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