Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I listened with great interest to Fianna Fáil's response to the two Budget Statements. I congratulate both Deputy Seán Fleming and Michael McGrath on their contributions. Deputy McGrath, in particular, took the opportunity to outline the philosophical approach his party would adopt as a party of opposition. He said his party would take a positive approach to its role, mirroring what the party leader said on assuming office. He accused the current Government of being cynical in opposition. He went on to say that the choices made by the Government in our budget were those of the Government and the Government alone. This is fine rhetoric but it bears little relationship to reality. The choices made by this Government in this budget are those foisted upon us by the catastrophic failure of the previous Fianna Fáil Government. Our opposition in the last Dáil was opposition to the bungling and ineptitude that has left this country in penury and our opposition was both appropriate and necessary.

See this speech in context