Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The result of our strategy was to deliver our country from the bailout almost to the day a year ago, without the need for a second bailout or other conditional arrangements.

We also took action to deal with the demons of Ireland's cold and heartless past. In my first speech here as Taoiseach, I spoke about how a wound heals from the edges in. We began immediately to put that healing process in place for our country. First for the women of the Magdalen laundries, then by looking after mothers and their babies by way of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013. We took care of the families of Priory Hall and those living in pyrite homes. We are now working to help the women who endured symphisiotomy procedures. We are preparing for a referendum on same-sex marriage, something that will mean so much to so many couples, their friends and families the length and breadth of this country. Just this week in the House we are moving on to the debate on homelessness, which the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, and the Minister of State, Deputy Paudie Coffey, are working so hard to resolve.

In every aspect of this work, I wanted to make sure we would banish those demons, those old cultural spectres of inhumanity. I was determined that Ireland would never again be such a cold house for its people. I remain so determined. We are on a path of economic and social recovery. I understand that many listening to this debate still have not felt that in their lives. I am as impatient as everyone else that the benefits of recovery are felt right across our country. Today, much to the disappointment of the Opposition, we are out of the bailout programme and back in the economic markets. The banks have been reconstructed and are stable. There are over 80,000 new jobs. In other words, 80,000 people in all four corners of Ireland get up every morning with a new sense of hope for the future as they go to work. The dole queues are at their shortest in five years. We are the fastest growing economy in Europe. The crushing deficit is down and will be eliminated completely by 2018.

Better debt deals mean we have billions more to invest in public services to make life a bit easier and somewhat better. Personal taxes are down and people will benefit further from other tax restructuring in forthcoming budgets. Within the month, they will begin to see a bit more in their pay packets as the first tax cuts come into play. This will be the first occasion in a long time that people will get something back and that they will start to see the benefits of the recovery for which they have suffered so much. It is for us to thank them for their sacrifice.

No person is perfect, no government is perfect and nor am I.

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