Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

This has been an extraordinary period in political life and the lives of the people. It has been marked by dramatic unemployment, banking, economic and financial crises. We were told that there was a liquidity crisis in the banks, that the actions being taken would not be expensive for the country and that matters would be corrected quickly. As we have seen, that was not the truth. We were told we were turning the corner, but we were not. We were told the Government would last and stay together until the finance Bill was passed. Of course, it did not. The manner in which the Bill is going through the House is symbolic of the Government's incompetence and mismanagement in dealing with many other issues that have arisen during its lifetime. The new leader of Fianna Fáil, Deputy Martin, is now speaking about the future while trying to air-brush the past. The people, however, and their children will be paying for many years to come the price for the Government's mistakes, waste and incompetence. With the people, we cannot forget the Government's legacy, which is the reason we need change.

The debate on the finance Bill will be concluded tomorrow. As this is the final Order of Business, unless there is a meeting at a later point, as Senator Leyden pointed out-----