Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

With the permission of the Acting Chairman, Deputy McConalogue, I wish to share my time with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar.

It hardly seems like months have elapsed since Brian Lenihan so sadly died. I again offer my condolences to his wife, Patricia, and his children, Clare and Tom, for whom I am sure this has been a difficult and painful period. I had many political arguments with Brian. We disagreed over the bank guarantee - he managed to persuade everyone else in the House to vote for it - but we still had a very friendly relationship and we worked together at all times for the best of the people in Dublin West. We remember him.

It is a reform of the Government that, unlike with the previous Government, by-election vacancies will be filled within six months of the vacancy arising. That is good. It gives the people of Dublin West an opportunity to fill the seat which was filled by someone as distinguished and as thoughtful in relation to his constituency as the late Deputy Brian Lenihan.

The Labour Party has nominated my colleague, Councillor Patrick Nulty, to contest the by-election. Councillor Nulty is a young councillor. He was elected at the head of the poll at the last local elections. He stood with me at this year's general election. Mr. Pat Nulty comes from a family that has lived in Blakestown and Clonsilla for many generations. He was brought up in Corduff and went to school in St. Patrick's national school in Corduff and Riversdale community college. He studied at Trinity College before doing a master's degree at UCD. His family and the local community can be very proud of the contribution this young politician has sought to make as a public representative of integrity, hard work and commitment to the people of Dublin West.

When all the rhetoric is put aside, it cannot be denied that Dublin West has been the home of developers, as Deputy Joan Collins alluded to. The Labour Party has been to the fore in ensuring the precious green belt in Dublin West has been maintained to some degree. We inherited a terrible problem when we took office. Good individuals throughout Dublin West have lost their employment through no fault of their own, but as a result of the greed of bankers and developers. I agree with the analysis of some Opposition Deputies in this regard. This Government is facing a difficult uphill task. I am determined that we will turn the country around. We will get people back into employment and decrease their dependence on social welfare. Contrary to what some Members of this House think, people want to be financially independent, to work in jobs and to own their own businesses. That is what most families and individuals want. People do not particularly want to be on social welfare. That is why the introduction of the jobs initiative was one of this Government's first acts when it took office in May. Slowly but surely, the initiative is bearing fruit.

Deputy Higgins referred to the issue of the debts owed by Anglo Irish Bank. I remind him that during its short period in office, the Government has successfully concluded a renegotiation of the interest rate. I said during the general election campaign that such a renegotiation was possible. On the night the IMF deal was negotiated, I said that it was very onerous for Ireland and that the interest rate would have to be renegotiated. I am glad to say that a Government comprising the Labour Party and Fine Gael has renegotiated the interest rate down from just under 6% to approximately 3%. Fianna Fáil said it could not be done. Others thought it could not be done, but it was done. We now have to do some work on the Anglo Irish Bank promissory notes. I suggest, with due respect to Deputy Higgins, that this is the most significant issue in relation to Anglo Irish Bank. The arrangement that was made regarding promissory notes involves a charge of €3 billion, plus interest, on the budget of this country every year for ten years. Fianna Fáil took a two-year interest holiday on the promissory notes, which currently attract an interest rate of 8.5%.

A great deal of ingenuity and effort will be required from every member of this Fine Gael and Labour Party Government. The recovery is slowly beginning to happen. More than 900 people have taken up internships under the JobBridge scheme. A further 500 people have transferred from the work placement programme to the internship scheme. I am sure many Deputies feel it is not enough. We have to try to nurture the process of recovery and reform. We are reforming the social welfare system at a time when money is tight. That is always difficult. It is important that we reform the social welfare system. It is not good enough to leave people on social welfare indefinitely, without hope of being able to work and look after their families independently. Some people have such a patronising attitude to those who have unfortunately lost their jobs. There has to be a key focus on getting people back into employment. As a country, we will be better off when fewer people are on social welfare and more people are back in employment or starting businesses. That is the formula this Government has adopted with regard to Ireland's economic recovery.

The Money Advice and Budgeting Service, which is funded by the Department of Social Protection, is assisting tens of thousands of people throughout the country who are experiencing difficulty with mortgages and other debt. The Department is spending €77 million a year on rent supplement for approximately 18,000 families that are in trouble with their mortgages. The Deputies opposite may suggest that these measures are not sufficient, but they are important for the families that benefit from them. When people cast their votes in Dublin West, I am sure they will consider thoughtfully the achievements this Government has chalked up in six short months as part of its reform agenda. The country is now facing forward. Slowly but surely, we are emerging from the disastrous bank guarantee, which was introduced by Fianna Fáil and the Green Party and supported by many parties and individuals in the Opposition. Unfortunately, Sinn Féin voted in favour of the guarantee on the night we voted on it.

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