Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

In the past we had problems because of failure and mediocrity and policies that did not work. We have full employment when other generations did not. Is that a sufficient vision? Young people can get a job in Ireland, commensurate to their skills and abilities. Is that a worthwhile vision?

Through the social inclusion programme, totalling €50 billion, we will mainstream people with disabilities and bring the marginalised into full society. I am proud of the record I have as a former Minister for Health in bringing about this expansion of opportunity which is fundamental to building a republic and giving equal citizenship to all. To those who want to talk about vision, I am willing to debate it with them all night. The reality, however, is that we have the economic resources and sustainable growth patterns. Regional development will be effected through the national spatial strategy. We must ensure the resources are in place to get the best possible return on that investment.

I defend this development plan as having all the hallmarks of what is required for this State over the next seven years. The demographics are such that we have the opportunity to meet these infrastructural deficits in the next decade, which may not be possible in the future. Due to changing demographics, social expenditure may increase in, say, care for the elderly which may leave less discretionary expenditure. For every person over 65 years, there are six in the workforce. We will, however, move to the European norm where they cannot achieve economic growth of more than 2% and populations are diminishing.

The global village we live in is bringing about real challenges of integration and immigration. Many migrant workers come to our shores because of the economic success we have achieved. Their contribution not only benefits them and their families but improves our economy's competitiveness. The plan assumes an increase in labour force growth of 2.5%, which is eminently achievable. Parameters have been set out with achievable targets only if we continue with the successful polices we have had up to now. Many involved in political discourse would prefer to come up with another idea and have no continuity in policy. The policies, however, are working in meeting the basic needs of the people.

One of the great challenges for social partnership in the next several years is to ensure public services can be provided with an improved public service ethos. It is not about providing more resources for the public service. If that was the solution to the problem, it would have been solved by now. This is not a question of a Government resting on its laurels and sleepwalking through the next seven years, as the Opposition suggests. There is an agenda of change which will test the maturity and vibrancy of social partnership. It will test the quality of leadership of not only the trade union and political system but that of the community. The ability to adapt to new circumstances will determine the success of the national development plan and the quality of life it seeks to achieve. This is the real challenge for Ireland. The Government and this party has the best political capacity to ensure we maintain social cohesion, consistency in economic policy and provide the resources for priorities to achieve the vision of Towards 2016 that was agreed by all social partners.

The national development plan is an ambitious blueprint to transform Ireland and produce a better quality of life for all. It will help us to sustain our economic success, secure the gains already made and underpin our competitiveness into the future. These economic effects are critical to our well-being. However, the plan will deliver even more by boosting the quality of our environment, enhancing our national transport network, investing in our schools and hospitals and building social inclusion. It recognises and acts on the potential of all-island co-operation. It will encourage balanced and sustainable development in every region and will make our country stronger and fairer in the interests of every citizen.

The new plan is a fully costed, multi-annual blueprint for sustainable development. It builds on the progress made over recent years and sets out the strategy to tackle our infrastructural deficits, boost our enterprise and productive sector, equip our people with the skills and qualifications appropriate for a modern dynamic economy, and spread the benefits of our recently attained prosperity more widely among our people.

This is the fourth national development plan since 1989. When the first plan was launched, Ireland was a different country. Unemployment was at 15%, the national debt was 107% of GNP and more than 200,000 people had emigrated in net terms over the previous decade. By contrast, the backdrop to the new plan is one of virtually full employment, a debt-GNP ratio of 25% and a population increase of almost 609,000 in the last decade.