Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

This is the reason Ministers are introducing legislation to deal with that issue. Moreover, the reason the Government will establish a micro-finance start-up agency to provide them with a stimulus is because they wish to employ people. They want to get out of this recession and to play their part in building confidence. Everywhere I go, big and small operations are focused on getting out of this mess our country has inherited. This is the reason the Government is making various decisions such as providing a capital programme of €17 billion and providing specific stimuli within the budget by way of taxation decisions and by way of the finance Bill, as well as through legislation. It is so doing in order that people can focus, within the constraints under which we operate, on what can be done.

Moreover, this is being followed by the labour activation measures the Minister for Social Protection will launch shortly and which are designed to give a sense of confidence and hope to the many people who find themselves obliged to watch television during the middle of the day when the vast majority of them wish to get out and contribute to the country's well-being. The Deputy should turn his thoughts to assisting those people, rather than being on the rant of disillusionment and despair I hear him voice each time he appears in the Chamber.

See this speech in context