Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour)

I would like to outline how bad the country's position is. Everybody should recognise that we are borrowing €375 million a week to pay every Deputy in the House and those working for the State. This is filtering back into small businesses and is an essential part of where we are. Unfortunately, we will have to remove more money from the economy next year.

Nobody outside this Chamber is under any illusions as to who is responsible for the creation of the black hole the economy is in. Deputy Troy is the only fellow from that political party in the Chamber. The greasy pole to which Ireland will be attached for a long time to come will be attributed to Fianna Fáil and there is no getting away from this fact.

In the budget €3.8 billion had to be taken out of the economy for various reasons. The most important point is that we regain our economic independence. The most detrimental thing to happen to the country since the foundation of the State was the loss of our economic independence. It is nearly akin to the terrible situation in which Sinn Féin finds itself in the North where the Assembly is told by its paymaster how much money it has to allocate. Unfortunately, Sinn Féin is in a position where it must make cuts in schools, close down Garda stations and so on. I will not dwell on the matter, but that is the reality.

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