Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

In the past few days with other colleagues on this side of the House I was in the Isle of Man to attend the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. Solace was to be gained in this frightening time for the country when we were addressed by the President of the Nordic Council who was Icelandic. He spoke about the terrible time they had endured before the IMF went in and about the good times they were entering. He told us there was a good life after the IMF. We also heard this from our British counterparts who talked about the time when the IMF went into Britain in the 1970s and it did not fall apart. We were told there were calm heads and nerves of steel. What I am hearing from the Opposition this afternoon does not indicate there will be cool heads and nerves of steel. I am sorry we will not have this. I will not play party politics, although I know Members expect me to do so because I normally do.