Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Halligan referred to the last government and the difference is this - the last government saddled the Irish people with the debts of the banks; this Government is renegotiating and easing the debt burden on the people.

As regards going to the people, we did so two years ago in a general election. We went to the country on a commitment that we would renegotiate the terms of the deal. As I said previously, there were many people who doubted either that was possible or indeed that we would succeed. I have to confess there were times when it seemed to me that there were people in this House who seemed to wish that we would not succeed.

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