Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I learned quite a number of things from the meetings I held. One was that people look at this country in terms of its reputation being changed. The Deputy might say that does not create jobs but it creates a sense of confidence, solidarity and progress. It all leads to an understanding that where a country acts on the decisions taken by the European Union and is able to comply with the conditions, it can and does make progress. I recognise that many people here have difficulties, anxieties and concerns. The problems the Government and our country face will not go away unless somebody does something about them. In many cases, countries in Eastern Europe and members of the EU have taken really difficult decisions. They are in a very different position to Ireland, the most extreme case being that of Greece.

The Deputy can take it that we have no intention of setting up multi-billion euro oligarchies out in Dún Laoghaire or places like that.

See this speech in context