Ireland does not face an economic crisis, but a crisis of management of the public finances as a consequence of sloppy management by the Government. As Deputy Richard Bruton said today, this Government makes decisions on the basis of the egos of its members rather than the national interest. Ireland is not in a recession; its economic growth rate is almost double the EU average. The Government's collective ego, however, means that Ministers have publicly denigrated the state of the economy. It suits them to state that the global economy is to blame for our difficulties rather than their appalling mismanagement. Ministers know that if they repeat that mantra often enough, people may believe in it.