Dan Boyle (Green Party)

I call for a special debate in the House on the four-year budgetary framework which will certainly be produced before the budget in December and determine our economic future. The four-year period will encompass the next general election, irrespective of the composition of the next Government. All parties in both Houses should be fully and actively involved in dealing with the framework. How it is to be quantified or qualified is for the parties to consider.

Let us consider today's announcement by one of the credit rating agencies. We have not been led too much by rating agencies. The Fitch agency has marginally downgraded the country's debt rating from AA- to A+. It attributes this to uncertainty over a broad political consensus on our future economic approach. Above all else, this is the issue we all need to face.

When people talk about the failure of the Tallaght strategy, particularly as it affects the Opposition parties, the remarks do not bear comparison with reality. The strategy which was adopted in 1997 was followed after the general election of 1989 by an increase in the number of votes and seats won by the Fine Gael Party. It has not had a higher number of votes or seats since. The return of lower vote totals and numbers has been related to a return to oppositional politics. The last thing the country and economy need is oppositional politics. If we are to proceed by way of a collective approach to the next budget under the four-year budgetary framework or a different Government composition, or have an election before or after such a process, it behoves us all to enter into the debate and decide how we can deal with these problems.