Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Sinn Féin's sums will have to add up because they have not added up thus far.

Sinn Féin Deputies become upset when its role in the North is raised. I will not make an apology for raising the North. Deputy Colreavy argued that Government Deputies raise the issue to derive political advantage, as if Sinn Féin did not seek to derive political advantage and press all the buttons of people who are affected, in some cases badly, by what occurred following the economic collapse. It needs to do more than simply press all these buttons to derive political advantage. It must show people some kind of a vision.

I do not make any apology for pointing out that Sinn Féin is fixed on a programme which will cut welfare in Northern Ireland. When I put this point to Deputy Pearse Doherty on a radio programme recently he responded that there was a crisis in Northern Ireland. What does he believe occurred here? Did we not experience a crisis? Was one of the most spectacular banking and economic collapses in history not a crisis that necessitated the decisions taken and leadership shown by the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, and Deputy Gilmore when he was Tánaiste? They did what was required to maintain an economy that is beginning to create the jobs Deputy Colreavy correctly argued are necessary. The Government is delivering progress in the economy and broader society. It took the necessary decisions at that time to return order to the public finances and enable us to begin developing the economy.

Sinn Féin should not only list all the bad bits. It must start thinking about what it would do if, God help us, it ever moves to this side of the House.

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