Fiona O'Malley (Independent)

That is the Senator's opinion. All of the party leaders should engage in a debate on the budget. We would then see who really does and does not understand economics.

In response to Senator O'Toole's remarks, I am happy to vote confidence in the Government. The person who knows about and is in complete command of what is happening is the Taoiseach. He has a supreme command of the situation. No more than anyone else, he is not happy that we are in the current situation, but, given that we are in it, we need somebody who fully understands and knows economics. At a dangerous time such as this, I am glad he is in that position.

I also listened with interest to Senator Bacik's contribution and a point she has made on previous occasions. It is contemptuous. She has lamented the fact that Fianna Fáil has been in government so often, as if the public is making a mistake in electing the party. This flies in the face in democracy. As everybody knows, we have a general election, the results are accumulated and a Government is formed. It is up to the people to vote and it is not for Senator Bacik to decide that the people have got it wrong. She laments the fact that Fianna Fáil managed to win the last election. That is what happens - one goes to the country, gives one's best performance, comes back with the numbers and forms a government. What will happen in the next election is important. I agree with Senator Feeney. The Opposition should take care in thinking it has it won already because every seat will be contested.

A measure of what is happening and how the Government is doing the right thing is the fact that popular support is evaporating. Who likes to take sweets from children or money from people who want it, have earned it and are entitled to it? I hope that when the election campaign starts, the public will realise that being in government in difficult times is not popular. The opinion poll does not matter; what matters is the poll on polling day. During the election campaign people will recognise that Fianna Fáil and the Government have acted honourably. They have looked at and learned from the past and decided to take swift measures to remedy the situation. As was said in the debate earlier today, the fundamentals of the economy are good. If we did not have the banking problem, we would be more or less moving in the right direction. However, it is utterly contemptuous of Senator Bacik to give out to the people, the electorate, for electing the Governments they have elected in the periods concerned.