Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

We did not do it. The next time the Labour Party talks about opt-outs, remember that six months ago, in their proposals for taxation, they said they would raise €500 million from taxation. One cannot do that if one gives opt-outs to everybody.

Fine Gael talked about rebuilding Ireland. That is what we are doing. At times of huge difficulty, companies like Airtricity, Microsoft and the ESB are creating jobs in the green economy, renewable energy and clean technology. They do not talk about this in a debating forum. They deliver real jobs.

I was struck by the many references to planning made by Deputy Richard Bruton over the last 24 hours. In Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael councillors have been burning the midnight oil recently trying to rezone agricultural land, take buildings off the list of protected structures and convert architectural conservation areas to shopping centres. We are providing a better planning system.

There is no Nirvana around the corner if the captain and the crew are changed. Tough decisions have to be made by any party, and have been made by ours.

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