Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Government in which I was honoured to serve under former Taoiseach John Bruton dealt with our economic circumstances in a very different way from Deputy Cowen. That Government handed the economy over to the incoming party in surplus and in good stead, and the Taoiseach has squandered that to a point where there is an unprecedented national debt, where unemployment has doubled in the past 12 months and where, not only in my view but in the people's view, the Taoiseach now has no mandate and no authority to continue in office. Any other Government in Europe would have resigned in disgrace after the extent of defeat inflicted on this Government, not by the Parliament but by the people, on Friday last. The facts speak for themselves. The Taoiseach may well argue about the decision of the people but he cannot argue with the decision of the people.

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