Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I support every word of my colleague Senator Paschal Donohoe. I say to Senator Leyden that it is not a Tallaght strategy or a national government we need to speak about but we certainly need to speak about a new type of politics. My fear is that there is an inclination to replace the economics of illusion which has brought us to where we are with what I would call the politics of delusion. The politics of delusion is the simplistic view that somehow changing the chairs on the deck will bring salvation to the country; it is not as simple as that.

There was talk earlier of jailing bankers, and all of that is fine. However, when all the bankers are jailed and all the bank boards have been replaced, while it will be satisfying for the majority of our citizens, the current budget deficit will still be almost €20 billion and the real problems will not have gone away. The figures presented to us last night as part of the bank bailout and economic recovery presentation are absolutely frightening but they must and, I believe, can be tackled and challenged. However, we need a new type of politics to do so.

We in this House are better placed than those in the other House to talk about that type of politics and the type of political response which is required. I speak not of a national government but of the need to have a national political truce. We on this side of the House should co-operate with the Government in order to put through the next budget which will decide the fate of this country.