Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Tuigim sin. Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a gabháíl le Pháirtí an Lucht Oibre as an am a roinnt liom.

On this question James Connolly once used the phrase "ruling by fooling". He would certainly have had plenty to justify that thought in the midst of the comic opera farce which is the hallmark of the dying days of this Government. He would also perhaps be tempted to coin a new phrase - Opposition by fooling. Fine Gael and the Labour Party are attempting to fool the people into believing they are outraged by the current Administration's plans to savage the Irish people in the interests of its banker and speculator friends. The truth is the parties have accepted the timetable for reducing the deficit and have also accepted the need for massive cutbacks which will be borne by the ordinary people of this State. They may argue about whether the cuts should be of the order of €6 billion or merely €4.5 billion and may express outrage at control of the country's finances being handed to the IMF. They may castigate the Government which has been responsible for that outcome. However, when the smoke clears they, too, have signed up to the consensus for cuts. They, too, have expressed their willingness to act as the executive arm of the IMF. Whatever theatre is being acted out between the parties has merely to do with which one of them will have the biggest number of seats in the future coalition that will administer the cuts when the present sorry bunch shuffle off the stage.

When Fine Gael and Labour Ministers come to close schools, sack nurses and cut the minimum wage, of course we will be told how much better they do it rather than Fianna Fáil or Green Party Ministers doing the same. They will do just as they did when they were in government during the 1970s and 1980s. It is puzzling, in the midst of the current turmoil when inspired leaks hint at what the budget has in store for us, that Fine Gael, using this Private Members' time, should hone in on the issue of corporation tax. We are told that the minimum wage will be reduced, people's homes will be taxed, we will have to pay twice for our water, social welfare payments will be cut and thousands of public servants will be thrown on the dole. One would imagine that Fine Gael might regard these as issues of major concem and an appropriate subject for Private Members' time. Most people certainly would assume they were. However, to do so would be hypocritical as that party has already indicated it will do the very same thing-----

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