Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim céad fáilte arís roimh an Aire Stáit. Díospóireacht iontach tábhachtach é seo agus is mór agam deis a bheith agam mo chuid tuairimí féin agus tuairimí mo phairtí a roinnt leis. We are approaching two years since Fine Gael and the Labour Party won the election and formed the Government. At that time people undoubtedly voted for change but, I believe, they have been let down and an increasing number of people realise that the Government has no interest in bringing about a change in economic policy. It has not been an easy time in government because the Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats economics had brought the country to its knees. Fine Gael and the Labour Party took over a state with 14% unemployment and tens of thousands emigrating each year. It was a State whose sovereignty had been surrendered and which had taken on an unsustainable banking debt.

Unfortunately, all those facts remain true because there has been no real change in policy. To continue with the failed policies of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats and expect a different result is crazy. Still, the banks - our banks - are not lending to small and medium-sized enterprises. The education and health sectors are under constant pressure fearing for the next round of cuts. It is not an easy time to be in government but the Government is fond of saying it is making hard choices. Is it, however? Is it not taking the easy way out by blindly following IMF diktats by doing things the Fianna Fáil way? What would be a brave choice would be to commit the State and its resources to a stimulus plan such as the one Sinn Féin has proposed.