John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The definitive question that focused most people's minds, whether they were economists, politicians or ordinary everyday people was how we were going to effect an exit from the austerity that affected everybody. It was felt that if some deal was done on the promissory notes, whether through reconstruction or whatever, irrespective of whether some people agreed with it - I happen to believe that passing on the debt is not a good idea - within the two and a half years left to the Government, some specifics would be put in place to boost people's mental energy levels. They are depressed and downtrodden because of what has happened through greed and avarice in our society. People cannot wait three months, six months or a year to hear good news if any good news will come out of this at all. We need to hear it now. Those on the Government benches said that if we could get a reconstruction or reconfiguration of the deal on promissory notes the benefits would be passed on to the Irish people. People need to be told this over a short period.

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