Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The interim report of the Fennelly commission has been published and the conclusions of the report are available for every Member and every member of the public to read. The great expectation from the Opposition to the effect that the report would confirm their versions of events has not materialised. The commission accepts that the Taoiseach did not intend to put pressure on the Garda Commissioner to retire.

Regardless of the actual conclusions of the commission, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin were united in their intention to use the publication of the report as an opportunity to table a confidence motion in the Taoiseach. Of course, that is their prerogative and they prioritise what they believe are the most important issues facing the country at present.

That is not to play down the significance of the interim report. The retirement of a Garda Commissioner is a very serious matter and the decision by the Government to establish a commission of investigation into this matter was the right one. The report identifies a number of failings within the system and these must be corrected. Indeed, they are being corrected by my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, who is leading her Department though a period of major transformation.

This debate is not about the interim report. It is another attempt by the Opposition to take the attention off the biggest issues and challenges facing the country in the weeks, months and years ahead. It is a blatant attempt to keep the focus on the past and undermine the major progress that this Government, led by the Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, has made in turning the country around. That is the Opposition's priority today.

I know those in the Opposition do not want to talk about the recovering economy or the fact the public finances are under control. They do not want to talk about the thousands of people who now have a job. I know for certain that they do not want to talk about the future, a future from which, under the leadership of Enda Kenny, every family in the country will benefit. The policies implemented by the Taoiseach and this Government are designed to avoid the boom-and-bust policies of the past and create a future where people can have certainty about their incomes and pensions as well as access to the public services they need. The economic recovery we are seeing is real and is underpinned by the most recent national accounts released by the Central Statistics Office. In the second quarter of this year, real GDP rose by 1.9% relative to the first quarter, and, as a result, was 6.7% higher than in the same period last year. This comes on the back of an increase of 7.2% in the first quarter of this year.

The increase in economic activity is broadly based, unlike in the past when activity was excessively concentrated in the construction sector. We are now seeing the domestic-facing and exporting sectors performing strongly. Exports were strong in the second quarter, growing by 13.6%. The multinational sector is contributing but so too are Irish-owned firms. The competitiveness improvements we have seen in recent years are standing to us. Domestic demand is also growing strongly with consumer spending continuing to recover. These encouraging data are mirrored in strong employment growth as well as tax receipts. By the end of August, tax receipts had increased by almost 10% over the same period last year. Our overriding objective now is to build upon the gains we have made in recent years and secure the recovery. Under the Taoiseach's leadership, this Government will continue to work to ensure the benefits of the economic recovery are widely distributed to families throughout the country and create further jobs.

The recovery that is under way is fragile and must not be taken for granted. Many people throughout the country have been very badly affected and have yet to feel the benefits of the recovering economy.

While large numbers of jobs have been created, the rate of unemployment remains too high. Too many people in work are living on fixed incomes and are still under pressure to make ends meet, and too many of our young people are still working abroad. Introducing policies to address these challenges is the priority of this Government.

The Taoiseach is the leader of a Fine Gael and Labour Party Government that has brought this country back from the edge of bankruptcy and a situation in which more than 300,000 young people were emigrating. He is the leader of a Government that has brought stability to the country. He is the leader of a Government that knows what the challenges facing the people are and is prioritising actions to overcome these challenges. His colleagues in government have absolute confidence in him, and later on this House will vote that it has absolute confidence in him as well.

In passing, I would also like to say that I have full confidence in the Attorney General. She is excellent at her job and is a most dedicated and patriotic woman who works all sorts of late hours to serve the Government with appropriate legal advice. Anyone who expresses no confidence in the Attorney General does not know the effort and work that Ms Máire Whelan puts into her job.

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