John Gerard Hanafin (Fianna Fail)

I ask the Leader for a debate on the economy. The Economist publication for 2007 has been issued and Ireland is again shining with a gross domestic product, GDP, per person far in excess of our European neighbours, which shows we have done things right. GDP is not the only measure of success. Another measure is the sharing of that wealth and that is why I would welcome a debate on the economy in which to look forward and say where we got it right, for example by investing in education in the 1960s or neutrality. It is difficult to look after the less well-off while spending 3% or 4% of one's GDP on defence.