James Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I put it to the House that the country is back on track thanks to the last Government. There has been a lot of pain for a lot of people and this Christmas we could give some people certainty about their tenancies and their rents next year and the years to follow. Instead, however, we have Fianna Fáil brinkmanship - that is what I would call it - as operated by Deputy Barry Cowen. I remind the party across the floor that theirs is the party of Ray Burke and of Bertie Ahern, who made a comment on suicide in respect of some people who were giving out about the economy at the time, who accused Deputy Bruton, when he warned about it, of economic treason and who encouraged people, in particular, young people, to get on the property ladder before they missed the boat.

Let us get back to reality. Six months of work has gone into this strategy, in consultation with all the stakeholders. That is where the figure of 4% comes from. However, Fianna Fáil and Deputy Barry Cowen have just pulled the figure of 2% out of the air. It sounds awfully like the language used by Anglo Irish Bank bankers, as I recall. Let us stop the brinkmanship if we can. Let us give people some certainty for next year. If we mean, "Happy Christmas", let us try to make it a little happier for those who find themselves with uncertainty around having a roof over the heads next year.