Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

My charge is that the Minister for Finance - this is a political charge, so the Deputies will have to take it in context - was trying to create an air of achievement about the Government's first 100 days in office. It had become a hostage to its commitment at an early stage that it would do a hell of a lot more in 100 days. Nobody expected it to. We realise it is not a sprint. Resolving this crisis is a marathon, and the Government should have stuck to an appropriate plan. I would like some clarification on that, although perhaps we will not get it.

I think I have run out of time, so I will not get an opportunity to make all those political points that would have started to address the issue of what the Government promised us during the election campaign.

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