Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It does not take long in passing. Austerity is not a policy but something that was brought upon this country and its people because of unfortunate neglect on the part of others in the past. It is not something in which this Government takes any pleasure; nor does anybody in this House take pleasure in it. However, it exists and we must work at it and come through it. We will come through it, with increased credibility. The year approaching is when this country will assume the Presidency of the European institutions. This is a great opportunity for this country and its leaders to set new benchmarks and new standards in order to be able to achieve the goals they have set for themselves. Reflected in that will be a dramatic further improvement in confidence in the institutions of this State and, as a consequence, confidence in the euro and the eurozone in general.

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