Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

Only a Government that is so beyond shame that it does not even recognise it would continue to deny the electorate of three constituencies their right to representation. It is a measure of the Government's arrogance that until very recently it had not offered any explanation or excuse for denying people their right to by-elections and proper representation. The Government recently had the gall to suggest that it is their patriotic duty not to have by-elections. Does the Government take the people for absolute fools? People can see that not alone has the Government mismanaged the economy in the good times, but that its mismanagement in the bad times has been absolutely cataclysmic for the country and the general public. Other countries that were as bad as us are now beginning to recover, with banks showing profits. Meanwhile, we slip ever nearer to the precipice. It now seems that no matter how much pain people take there will be no saving them. Even at that, there will be much more pain to take.

Twice this week already we have seen physical demonstrations of people's anger, which I condemn as does everybody in this House. We will see more of it, however, unless people are given a legitimate, legal method of expressing their anger in the ballot box, as they should be given in a democracy.

The Taoiseach is always upset when anybody mentions that he does not have a mandate, but he does not have a valid mandate.

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