Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

That is why we need the confidence and strength of the decision of the people on 31 May to send out the message that this is working.

Deputy Boyd Barrett is aware, whether he likes it or not, that public finances have been stabilised, growth has returned to the Irish economy in small measure for the first time in a long time, the independent analyses of growth projections for this year and next year are in the right direction and consumer confidence has risen in the last four consecutive months.

There are very challenging issues outside this country but our decision is to be made by the Irish people ourselves. We want to maintain that level of investment confidence and retain access to the insurance fund of the permanent mechanism for Europe, should that be required in the times ahead. At home, the Government intends to include in our own legislation good housekeeping conditions so that we rectify our public finances and ensure we never return to where we were when the economy ran off the rails.

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