James Bannon (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, to the House today.

Words, as well as promises, are soon forgotten by this Government, but let me refresh the Minister of State's memory regarding the words of the former Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, when announcing decentralisation plans last year. He said that it would be catastrophic if decentralisation was not delivered by the next general election and that the Government must make sure it was delivered or it would suffer heavily at the polls.