Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Taoiseach's Government has failed the country and the people. We now have a situation where 437,000 people are on the live register, with a further 70,000 projected to lose their jobs this year; credit is not flowing from banks to business; the public service is facing serious unrest because of the Government's economic policy of cutting wages and writing blank cheques for banks and people are being indiscriminately shot on our streets, all of which is causing serious anger and frustration. This is not good governance or leadership and it will not work. The people know it will not work.

The Taoiseach leads a Government that is riven by internal tension and divided by suspicion and a lack of trust. Yesterday, we witnessed the dignified resignation of former Minister of State, Deputy Trevor Sargent. Contrast that with the actions last week of the Taoiseach in forcing his party and the Green Party to defend the indefensible former Minister for Defence, Deputy Willie O'Dea and his attempting to justify the assertion that Deputy O'Dea had lived up to the standards he set for him. Deputy Sargent recognised he had made a serious error of judgment. In light of the spectacle witnessed in this Chamber last week, will the Taoiseach accept he made a serious error of judgment in terms of the manner in which he conducted the exit of Deputy O'Dea?

See this speech in context