Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

It would be possible to focus on the many reasons we are in the difficulties in which we find ourselves. I can see that the Fine Gael focus is again to say: "You blew the boom. We told you that you were going to do it. You did it and now it has all happened." During the debate on the budget I remember Senator Donohoe saying that if we could find him an economist at the time who would say that this time next year we would be in a better position we should tell him that economist's name. The World Economic Forum is meeting in Switzerland at the moment. None of those attending that forum last year predicted accurately the world's position today.

Yesterday I referred to the Fine Gael general election manifesto. It qualified its proposals by stating that they were predicated on 4% growth. None of that has materialised and circumstances have changed.