Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)

The remaining Fianna Fáil Members should not forget what their recklessness has caused. Some 250,000 people have lost their jobs, income has been cut in the public and private sectors and public services for our citizens have been reduced. The people are suffering but the Opposition is stoking their fear and anger rather than supporting them in their time of crisis.

Since this Government entered power we have worked to improve competitiveness, to restore the country's financial stability so that we can regain sovereignty and rebuild confidence in the hearts of the people. People who still have money do not want to spend it because they lack confidence in the future. We have to change that outlook while also giving hope to those who have lost their jobs. We understand their suffering and many of the provisions in the Finance Bill reflect the Government's thinking. Everybody knows we cannot create jobs without a strong economy. We will have to restore growth and stability before we can see job growth. With the jobs strategy we are trying to make jobs for people by manipulating Government policy to some degree. There is nothing more depressing than to be out of work over the long term. It is bad enough to be out of work for a month but long-term unemployment has a terrible effect on individuals' self-esteem.

I want the Croke Park agreement implemented to protect students, patients and pensioners. That will not prevent me from demanding the best from our Ministers in terms of ensuring the implementation process works. There may be a Croke Park agreement for public sector providers but there is no deal for the patients, students and pensioners who benefit from public services. This is why I will be working from within the Government to make sure the agreement works.

The scale of the problems in the HSE and the need for Oireachtas scrutiny of that organisation do not appear to be recognised by many Opposition Deputies. The administrative and managerial problems, the waste and the failure to deliver services are not reflected in the public comments by Members of the Oireachtas. Instead we have a sort of Taliban force of septic tank fundamentalists who are contributing nothing. The opposition will have to start coming from this side of the House because the scaremongering and misinformation coming from the other side verges on the ridiculous. Fianna Fáil suggested that septic tank inspections would cost €500 but the charge is actually €5.

Nothing solid comes from the Opposition. It never takes on the hard core issues that need to be addressed. Most of the people working for Google and similar enterprises across the country come from other jurisdictions. They are attracted to work in Ireland by higher wages. We have to make changes to our tax system to attract people into this country because we are not able to educate sufficient numbers to fill the vacancies created by the high technology companies that have located here. All our universities have fallen out of the top hundred in university ranking worldwide. That has happened only in the past couple of years but one would never hear a Member opposite proposing radical action to address that problem. Third level fees should be reintroduced for those who can pay them and the money should be ring-fenced and invested in our universities and technology institutions to ensure we produce the skills needed for these jobs.

Similarly, we do not hear sensible proposals from the Opposition on the VHI. I have heard a lot about people who have lost their private health insurance but they are no longer paying for insurance because it is too expensive. Nothing was done to address this issue while Fianna Fáil and the Green Party were in power. VHI bills do not clearly breakdown how the money was spent. Customers know how much they are paying in premiums but nobody is taking on the mammoth task of controlling costs. That is an initiative that should be coming form the Opposition but, unfortunately, it will have to come from the Government backbenches because the Deputies opposite are too busy getting worked up about septic tanks.

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