Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This is the reality. Unemployment figures were marching towards 500,000 when the previous Government marched out of office. Needless to say we had to pay for this, and because people's incomes had collapsed the number of medical cards increased from 1.2 million to 2 million and we had to provide money for this also. The Deputy stated the previous Government had done the heavy lifting in 2011. We were in government in 2011. The previous Government passed a budget and then marched out the door. Who implemented it? Who had to do the heavy lifting on that very difficult budget, and argue it and go through it? We had to make all the difficult decisions at the same time as preserving basic services for people. The representation of the truth in the fashion the Deputy wants will not cut any ice with the citizenry in the country.

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