Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)

Speaking this afternoon during Leaders' Questions the Taoiseach made the point that his approach to dealing with the EU-IMF and the economic crisis would be that he would tell the truth, which was the most definitive recognition of the fact that he was lying during the course of the general election campaign. The message now of slavish adherence to the EU-IMF deal negotiated by Fianna Fáil and the Green Party when in Government is very different to the one that was pedalled by Labour and Fine Gael in the course of the election. The messages were of not one cent more, burden sharing and so on but instead we are supposed to sign up to the fifth bailout in three years and put our people and our economy in hock to the tune of €70 billion.

The question that must be highlighted, and which will be highlighted as time passes, is who will pay for this crisis? It is clear that the method of payment will be vicious cutbacks and austerity, privatisation, further public sector pay cuts and, in reality, a setting back of conditions in this country for generations.

We have had to listen to a certain amount of double speak by the Government parties. The excuse for everything is a shrugging of the shoulders and either to blame Fianna Fáil for the problems that happened or to say they can do nothing about it as they are hamstrung by the confines of the deal. That is a very different message to the one the Minister was peddling during the election and is very different to the approach he is adopting in regard to corporation tax. His response to those who dare raise the question that big business might want to consider contributing a little more to this economy is to say that we will stand up to Europe, we will fight them on the beaches and so on. When it comes to defending the conditions of ordinary people, however, that is not the case. We have an unbelievable interference and micro-management of the economy, including bowing down at the EU-IMF altar, the details of which are only beginning to emerge.

Under this deal every home will be subject to a property tax which will be introduced this year. We have been told that this property tax will have to increase in 2012. The introduction of water charges and the establishment of a water utility company have also been mandated, which can only lead to privatisation. I find it ironic that the Taoiseach said earlier that we should not worry about the sale of semi-State assets, because we will be able to get around what the document actually says, while using the money for job creation. Why would one use the money for job creation, however, by implementing a measure to privatise and sell State assets, which inevitably leads to job losses? It is a fallacy. The Government, including the Labour Party, is prepared to stand over a situation where, in order to pay for speculation by bond-holders, the retirement age for social welfare pensions will go up from 65 to 68. We are now facing the spectacle that by 2028 people will have to work until they are 68. The generations who struggled for a better life, including improvements such as a shorter working week, can kiss it all goodbye because they will be working longer hours for less. In addition, they will not be able to access State pensions. Like all the other measures, not only will this not work, but I can also promise the Government that it will be resisted. Ordinary people are not prepared to pay that price for something they did not create.

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