Mary White (Fianna Fail)

By nature I am an optimist, but I shudder daily when I hear the negative and doomsday language from almost everybody on the other side of this Chamber. I do not know how as politicians, whose natural inclination should be to inspire hope in the electorate and the people of this country, they can verbalise and utter such brutal words regarding the disastrous state of the country. If they knew anything about business, they would know it untrue the country is in a disastrous state.

Earlier today, the Minister indicated that recently published figures show that both GDP and GNP expanded in the third quarter of 2010, which is very encouraging.

Senator Buttimer is at his phone, but I would ask him to listen to what I have to say. I always listen to him.