Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)

I am not happy to speak on the legislation before us which has been debated in the House for a number of weeks. When one talks to people about the Bill and NAMA, one factor emerges, namely, the lack of Government regulation in recent years. There was reckless behaviour on the part of a corrupt Fianna Fáil Government, and builders, bankers and developers were in the pockets of the Fianna Fáil Party for far too long. What happened was inevitable.

Since I was elected to this House in 2002, my party's finance spokesperson, Deputy Richard Bruton, has spoken in one budget debate after another against Government policy and about what was bound to happen. One heard what Ministers, party leaders and Taoisigh said in recent years. Charlie McCreevy told us to party on. The former Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, said people who talked down the economy should commit suicide. Deputy Brian Cowen said we would have a soft landing. Patrick Neary said we were sound financially. These quotations are from recent years. How out of touch were the people I quoted? This shows how out of touch the former Taoiseach, Deputy Ahern, is. I blame him for causing much of the trouble we are in now. He had the cheek to appear on "The Late Late Show" last Friday and say he might run for the Presidency. He said he would think about it because he would be 60 in some months and would see what the story was. Allow me to give a message to the former Taoiseach. He would not win the presidency of a tiddlywinks club because people have no respect for him or his past. That is my opinion of the former Taoiseach.

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