James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

I have no doubt that come the next election, which will take place sooner than the Tánaiste believes, the electorate will give the Government an answer by putting it out of office.

The budget fails to give any practical assistance to business people who urgently require support. The Government has failed dismally on this issue. We are experiencing one company closure after another as the owners of small firms are driven from their shops and factories as a result of the Government's behaviour, particularly since the current Taoiseach, Deputy Cowen, assumed office. The Taoiseach has let down the midlands badly. Shame on him. If he was an honourable politician, he would travel to the park tonight and submit his resignation to the President.

The current crisis is entirely of the Government's making. Its knee-jerk, reactionary policies are preventing a full economic recovery from taking place. Recovery is not possible under a Fianna Fáil Government because people have lost trust in it. The Tánaiste has done a very bad job in the area of employment. No one has trust or confidence in the Government's ability to get the economy up and running again. It has failed and should resign immediately.

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