Dan Boyle (Green Party)

I am further saddened that the lack of consensus on these issues to date is being prolonged unnecessarily by people continuing to look at this as a points-scoring exercise. We have a serious situation in respect of our public finances which is exacerbated by the financial institutions' situation, but we are an economy with economic growth, a positive balance of payments and, with the necessary political will over a particular timeframe, we are better positioned than most to get over this set of circumstances. It requires a degree of political consensus to bring this about. I am more hopeful than I have been because I get the sense that all Members in this House are beginning to understand that we are in the middle of an electoral cycle and an economic cycle. The decisions taken by the Government will have an impact on the Government that follows an election. Once that is understood, the country can move on. When those who want to take that responsibility are prepared to take those decisions, our country will be better for it.