James Carroll (Fianna Fail)

Gabhaim buíochas leat, a Chathaoirligh, as ucht deis a thabhairt dom labhairt ar an rún muiníne sa Taoiseach agus sa Rialtas. Tá áthas an domhain orm seans a bheith agam ráiteas a dhéanamh ag an am seo.

To table a motion of no confidence in the Taoiseach is truly extraordinary. The Opposition has now done so in less than three years in the case of two Taoisigh which has been unheard of in our democracy. The world's media watch when any such motion is moved. My humble advice to Opposition Members is to tread carefully because their time will come when they will be members of a Government. As Senator O'Toole highlighted half an hour ago, tabling such motions is unheralded and unnecessary.

I accept mistakes were made by the Government. Yesterday the Taoiseach acknowledged property incentives should have been removed long before he abolished them in December 2005. The international aspect to this crisis, to which Senator O'Reilly referred, is not acknowledged enough by the Opposition or the media. There is also the discrepancy in the Opposition's stance on economic issues before and after 2007. It is extraordinary to recall what was stated in its manifestos from 2002 to 2007 and see its stance on this motion.