Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)

The only way we will get this country back to work and out of the mire in which Fianna Fáil left it is by allowing people such as Deputy Noonan, Deputy Coveney and Deputy Howlin to adopt initiatives. The attitude should be: when we have a massive problem, we can look at it the Fianna Fáil way, by pulling the duvet over our heads and pretending it will go away, or we can actually tackle it.

I mentioned the memorandum of understanding to which this country signed up. I spent all day in a committee today listening to two people who, quite frankly, would wreck your head, talking about septic tanks. We have to introduce a tank registration charge, among other things such as household charges and water charges, thanks to the position in which the country now finds itself. When Members of the Dáil bring forward motions such as this, I wish they would visit the Oireachtas Library and Research Service and ask for a copy of the last programme for Government which they signed up to with the Green Party. About halfway through page 4 or page 5 it states that the Government will introduce an inspection regime for septic tanks and, among other things, it would introduce property charges. Then one hears one of the Fianna Fáil Deputies say that the party is in agreement in principle with what the Government is doing. In practice, however, the party opposes everything for the sake of it. As I have often said previously, those benches are the cheap seats. It is easy to knock things from over there. However, if I was a member of a party that did to this country what the party proposing this motion has done, I would not be so quick to take cheap shots at the crowd that is now trying to resolve it.

See this speech in context