Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

When I entered politics for the first time in 2011, I did so for one reason only, namely, I wanted to make a difference. In 2011, the Fianna Fáil-led Government left the country in a mess. Its governance and policies had bankrupted the country. We must never forget that its boom-and-bust policies left generations of families trapped in long-term, unsustainable debt. I know from people who attend my weekly clinics the mess Fianna Fáil left behind. As a result of that party's time in government, we had to rely on others to bail us out, pay the wages of our public servants, including nurses, teachers and gardaí. We lost our financial independence and hundreds of thousands of jobs were lost. We lost thousands of our youngest and brightest to emigration and public services were decimated. I could go on but everybody knows exactly the mess in which Fianna Fáil left us.

I joined Fine Gael because I knew it had the policies to get the country back on track. This is exactly what the party did in the past six years. Our record in government is there for everyone to see. We have restored the public finances and we are now in a position where we can invest properly in our public services. We will have a balanced budget in 2018. We have restored all the jobs lost during the Fianna Fáil crash. Last year alone, more than 1,000 new jobs were created every week. Under the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, we have a housing plan under which the houses that were lost as a result of the Fianna Fáil crash are starting to be built. We have regained our financial independence and seen the back of the troika.

I am proud of Fine Gael's record in government since I joined the party. I am also proud to support a Government which, since last year's election, has carried on with the rebuilding of our public finances and services. We have achieved much in our time in office but we are also aware that there is more to be done. As the economy continues to improve, we are using the extra resources to invest in our public services, hospitals and schools.

I ask the Deputies opposite to compare their last six years in government with Fine Gael's last six years in government.

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