Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

When various transformations in Bertie's life went ahead who did we see coming down the stairs of the Dáil? Was it Mr. McNamara, that late great tzar of Irish building, who was calling the shots for Fianna Fáil on behalf of the developers and their friends in the banks? Did I see Seán Dunne, the person who went to the Queen and sessions in the United States as the key guest of the Irish Government? I saw a mention in the Taoiseach's speech about a public services board to reform the public service. If we rolled back the clock a year or two or three ago I am sure these senior figures in Irish business would have been key people for these boards along with that scion of Irish banking, Mr. FitzPatrick, and his cousin in Irish banking, Mr. Fingleton.

Let us be honest about all of this. We are in the middle of the greatest depression that Ireland has endured or experienced since the economic war. Not even the Second World War produced the levels of unemployment to which the Government and Fianna Fáil have reduced the country. What do we get? It is probably a very simple menu but we have FÁS a h-aon which will go to the Department of Education and Skills to remind the Tánaiste of happier times in her previous Department. FÁS a dó will go to the new Department of Social Protection. FÁS a trí, which might be the head of the organisation, will stay at its old Department. We could put this to music. It is almost like beidh aonach amárach i gContae an Chláir because we will have FÁS a h-aon, FÁS a dó agus FÁS a trí. This is a bit like turning the water into wine; we have a dysfunctional FÁS-----

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