Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

What is the test of whether a Government should remain in office? The answer to this question relates to the nature of the quality of life of citizens. I am acutely aware of the appalling challenges faced by the ordinary people, with whom I am in contact on a daily basis, in my constituency, Laois-Offaly. The economic collapse has affected those who live in the commuter belt, the small villages, the large towns and the countryside of Laois-Offaly on many fronts. Every one of the areas to which I refer has been affected by the economic collapse and has suffered the negative side-effects of the Celtic tiger boom.

In the so-called good times, the population of Laois-Offaly expanded considerably and anyone hoping to buy a house in the locality was forced to pay an enormous price and be saddled with an onerous mortgage they would pay off for between 30 or 40 years. This was thanks to the inept economic policies of the Government, which continued to throw petrol on the flames when the property market was spinning out of control and crucifying ordinary working families. Many of the buyers of these grossly overpriced homes discovered they could not obtain school places for their children. It was as if such places were a unique prize rather than an automatic right. Those who did find a place for their child, often discovered that the classroom was a shabby prefab located on what used to be the playground. The former Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe will be aware of the schools in my constituency in which 80% of students are housed and taught in prefabs.

Promises were made repeatedly by successive Fianna Fail-led Governments that new schools would be built or significant extensions would be granted throughout my constituency. In most cases, however, those promises turned out to be nothing more than election gimmicks. The town of Portlaoise was promised a new Garda station prior to the 2007 general election. To date, that promise has not been honoured. In rural areas, smaller Garda stations are in a vulnerable position. People are constantly concerned about a lack of police presence in such areas. That lack of a police presence obtains despite a rise in the number of burglaries and a real problem with anti-social behaviour and credit crunch crime.

My constituency bears the physical scars of poor planning, evidenced by the existence of several ghost estates. There was no difficulty building houses during the past decade but it was apparently impossible to build schools or to deliver infrastructure at hospitals. The Minister for Health and Children referred to the hospital near the Taoiseach's home but did not mention Portlaoise Hospital, which was promised a maternity unit to cater for the dramatically increased demands on an overstretched under-resourced service. To date, nothing has happened in this regard.

In recent months, Laois-Offaly has been hit by factory closures and numerous small businesses are going to the wall. The level of job losses has surged. There are now 16,653 people on the live register in Laois-Offaly. Our children face a bleak future in terms of unemployment and emigration. I represent in the main a rural constituency. According to a recent Teagasc survey, farm incomes have plummeted to a ten year low. Almost 80% of farm families are now reliant on some form of non-farming income, including other employment, pensions or social welfare payments.

How can we have confidence in this Government? Its legacy in Laois-Offaly is reflected in ghost housing estates, negative equity, over-stuffed school prefabs, absence of school places, diminished local hospitals and a long list of broken promises. It is clear to me that this House cannot have confidence in the current failed regime. I believe the test for this Government will be to hold the three by-elections, following which, having accepted that mandate, it should go to the country and have a general election.

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