Larry Butler (Fianna Fail)

He has dealt with the banking situation very efficiently. No banks have gone to the wall. We ensured Anglo Irish Bank, which was one of our major six banks, survived. No one has thought of the consequences of allowing that bank to go to the wall. It would have been worse than Dell or anything we have seen before. We have dealt efficiently with the pork contamination problem we had and we are now seen as a country that will not allow anything but the best for sale on our shelves. It is very important to bear that in mind.

Our economy will pull out of this situation because we will work together and will find ways of doing things. Before Christmas we launched Building Ireland's Smart Economy: A Framework for Sustainable Economic Renewal. I do not believe people took enough time to read that document which contains many new ideas for job creation. That is the sort of approach needed, especially from this House. We are the House that can give leadership and it is important we give it. The Taoiseach is giving it to us now.