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

I am delighted to speak on this important issue. Having listened to the debate over the past two years, we must ask ourselves when it is a good time to make an exit from a programme like this. The answer is when it is most advantageous to the economy and the people of this country, who made huge sacrifices albeit with the leadership of Government. When major sacrifices of this nature are made, it is incumbent on the Government and management to ensure the decisions taken are correct for the country's economy and the people. I am amazed there is so much negativity, so many counter questions and doubts being cast on every move. I thought we should have some semblance of recognition that the country is progressing. We had it from one or two Members.

The national ship of this country was heading for the rocks before a strong wind and was in danger of destruction in 2010 when the decision was made to enter the programme because there were no other options. Since that time, I have repeatedly heard from those in opposition about the multiplicity of options the Government had. Where were they when the decision was entered into in the first place? There were no options.

I did a small calculation based on the number of occasions the Opposition, in the past two and half years, put forward proposals for greater expenditure. It would have left this country with a further debt of €40 billion. It is time reality dawned on everyone in the House. The Government is to be congratulated. It has been tough this far and will not be any easier. It was never intended to be easy. Once we were in this situation, there were no easy ways out. We are stuck with it.

In any other country, the country coming out of a situation like this would have been a time for general agreement that we were going in the right direction. Not so in this country. We are beset with the problem of doing ourselves down. This is part of our psyche and is something we must deal with. It is becoming invasive and a dominant feature of this society and its debates. There is no sense in people coming forward and suggesting that we will never get out of debt. We are improving in a serious way.

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