Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The U-turn the Government did on the economy is not a matter of shame but a matter of pride. When the Taoiseach talks to us about the figures, which he did today, he ignores the fact, to which Deputy Halligan referred, that many of us go into our constituencies and see hard cases on a daily basis. Imagine them reading the Taoiseach's speech today telling them not to worry that the deficit targets have been met, unemployment is down and the emigration figure is improving. Imagine telling that to people at the airport at Christmas saying goodbye to their third child going to Australia forever.

There is a complete disconnect between what is happening on the ground and what was in the Taoiseach's speech, which could easily have been written in the corridors of IBEC or the banks. I forgive the Taoiseach for his U-turn because I have got used to them. He did not do the easy bits; he did the hard bits. I do not forgive him for the fact he never tackled those great reforms he promised so openly. The easy bits, the bits that do not cost money, were never touched. What happened to the reform of the quangos? What happened to the reform of the banks? Bank boards are still picking insiders like there is no tomorrow. In his manifesto, the Taoiseach promised that the quangos would be reformed, the boards would be moved and there would be cost savings.

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