John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thought I had ten minutes, so I will have to pack a lot into three minutes. I welcome the opportunity to make a contribution. It is appropriate that we should discuss this in advance of the budget. In February of last year the Government was handed the most difficult task of any Administration throughout Europe. I compliment the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, and the Minister of State, Deputy Hayes, who is present, for working day and night on this. We saw glee, if one likes, over the weekend, and the naysayers were out immediately. Again, I compliment the members of the Government for the work they did behind the scenes. Although they had to do it in public, they showed resolve in obtaining recognition from Chancellor Merkel and President Hollande that Ireland is a special case.

I wish to refer to a few points made by the Opposition. All of this negotiation was done against the backdrop of a Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government running for cover, throwing in the towel, telling us before the crash came that the economy was sound, that it was a blip and that there would be a soft landing.

Sinn Féin is doing the opposite in the Six Counties to what they are doing in this State. When the issue of small schools was being debated in the House last year the Minister, Deputy Quinn, took some of the arguments into consideration and rowed back on some of his decisions. In the North Sinn Féin is closing schools through cuts to administration. We like to deal in facts.

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