Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I call for an urgent debate in the early part of next week, and I will explain the reason for this request. The Taoiseach is in Davos today with all the hobnobs of the world discussing the future for the subordinates who happen to be the people. Quite comically, the main focus of the Taoiseach's address, together with some other leaders from Finland, the Netherlands and the Deputy Chancellor of Germany, was what he called chasm of disconnection. He said that the chasm of disconnection cannot continue. That is rich and comical coming from the man who was so connected to his people that he took medical cards from people who were dying. He was so connected to his people that 350,000 students are not at school today preparing for their examinations, as they should be. He was so connected to his people that when the waiting lists are announced throughout the country today, we will see an increase. He is so connected to his people that there is the indictment in the Central Statistics Office announcement this morning that one child out of every eight is starving and has no heat. This is the man who champions the promotion of ridiculing the chasm of disconnection in a European context when he is totally and completely disconnected from what the people want. He patted himself on the back for bringing great stability faced with the challenges, having followed the Brian Lenihan plan for stabilising the economy, yet he went to an earlier global gathering in Davos and said how the people were reckless and everybody partied. This is the man who champions the ridiculing of the chasm of disconnection when he is the epitome of what disconnection has meant for the people.

While the hobnobs of Europe discuss quantitative easing and printing money to the tune of €50 billion per month to buy government debt, the question and the nature of debate required in this House next week with the Taoiseach in attendance, if he has the manners and courtesy to come here for a third time in four years, is what is in it for the people. What are the people getting from this Government whose leader is swanning around Europe, accepting the accolades for the late Brian Lenihan? If one was listening to questioning at the banking inquiry in recent days, not to prejudge in any way information that is being given at it, one would have heard very senior and experienced people say that if the Irish debt crisis and banking crisis had not been contained, it would have collapsed the euro. We on this side of the House have stated many times that the Irish people saved the euro. That is a fact and it is internationally accepted as a fact but still the people's children starve as we see in the CSO report today. Some 350,000 students are out of school today and many thousands of people are still unemployed. The IBRC was put into liquidation and it is now recovering debts from struggling families throughout the country by selling their homes out from underneath them. I am dealing with one case where I am negotiating for the family. The bank is forcing the people out of their house without giving them the full suite of measures in terms of work-out solutions such as split mortgages, much trumpeted on the airwaves. That is chasm of disconnection. The Leader should tell the Taoiseach to do this House and the people the courtesy to begin to practice at home what he preaches internationally, start getting rid of the chasm of disconnection in this country and start listening to the people and giving them the benefit of the so-called recovery.