Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

Just a week ago, my colleague, Deputy Thomas Byrne and I were discussing this on radio. Bringing this forward today, just two weeks after the incident is a Fianna Fáil tactic to enable its canvassers to look for extra votes on the doors when the general election is called, and to ask, in effect, "What would Fine Gael have done?". I remind Mr. Byrne that in May 2005 the man to my left, Deputy Bruton, informed this House what was happening, and nobody listened to him. I still have the statement. That is the answer to that, and the tactic of trying to wheel us in to what is definitely one of the worst deals any country could ever make is not going to work with the public.

I was asked earlier, when speaking to 40 young students from Ashbourne who had been in the Visitors' Gallery, how big a day today is for Ireland. It is a massive day, as their teachers know. It is the day we hand over that for which we fought. It is ironic that on the day Michael Collins came back from England with a deal in regard to our Independence and sovereignty the then leader of the now Fianna Fáil Party walked out and brought his men with him. Michael Collins did not go to England or anywhere else to collect money. It was from the Irish people he got money, for which he gave them all a receipt, be it for two, five or ten shillings. Today, members of the Fianna Fáil Party will walk up the steps and vote to bring English money into Ireland to keep it going. It is said that a week is a long time in politics. Ninety years is a long time politics. The Fianna Fáil Party claim to be Republicans. They are from one breed while I am from another. While it did not accept the deal obtained by Michael Collins, Fianna Fáil is now turning the wheel and is going to vote for it.

Fine Gael has a plan to create 100,000 jobs, which it will put to the people. We have a plan that will ensure the ECB and IMF are out of Ireland as quickly as possible. A child would do better, in terms of the deal done here some weeks ago. Let no Member of this House or business person tell me one cannot renegotiate a deal. The banks are doing it day-in and day-out in terms of writing down loans of €50 million to €20 million. When this day is over the ECB and IMF, who came here not alone to save Ireland but Europe, will have to write off €45 billion of this financial support.

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