Feargal Quinn (Independent)

How can the Government hope to get any support for its measures if people do not know how bad the situation is, if they are told that the public finances are, as was said by the Tánaiste yesterday, "under control" and they see taxes allocated in an unfair manner? The Government needs to show leadership and implement fair steps now across the public and private sector. These have to be harsher otherwise we will not have a functioning economy very soon.

I suggest the Bill does not go far enough. I listened to Mr. Trichet speak today and of course I accept that we can succeed. I do not want to sound negative. I am optimistic and I think I am realistic. I believe we can succeed, but we have to spell out the scale of problem. If a doctor tells a person he or she will become very ill or die if he or she does not take some nasty medicine, he or she would take the medicine rather than become very ill or die. The Government has to tell us that the economy is in a very difficult situation, that it is very ill, so to speak, but that the medicine we could take will make it better, that it will be difficult to take but if we take it now, we will find the economy will be in a healthy state next year. I encourage the Minister of State to take those steps.