Speech by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny Motion of Confidence in An Taoiseach and the Government

I move: That Dail Eireann reaffirms its confidence in the Taoiseach and in the Government.

Almost four years ago, the people voted us into power, asking us to do four things:
• Rescue the economy;
• Resuscitate the banks;
• Restore Ireland’s reputation; and
• Above all – get our people back to work.

At that time, Ireland was three months from running out of money.

The government faced the prospect of no cash for public services or salaries.

At the same time, the economy was in freefall.

The banks were bust. House prices diving. Mortgage-arrears soaring.

With a quarter of a million jobs lost in the previous three years, the dole queues heaved with our brightest and our best.

The Bailout Troika strode not only into the Dept of Finance, but in that bleak midwinter, deep into the national psyche.

Inside their homes, people sat dazed and horrified.

They had gone from being awash with cash, to drowning in debt.

When this Government of Fine Gael and Labour came into office in 2011 we had a plan to rescue Ireland from a bleak and hopeless future.

While the past few years have been difficult for our nation we have put Ireland on the road to recovery.

This is possible because, in following a specific plan, Ireland is the fastest growing economy in Europe. A fact unthinkable three years ago.

This is no accident. It is a reflection of the recovery plan we have steadfastly implemented since day one of Government…

A recovery plan that has been opposed at every turn by the parties of sound bites, negativity and misinformation.

Fine Gael and Labour promised in the last election that we would overhaul the flawed bailout agreement made by Fianna Fail.

We reversed job destroying increases in income tax.

We reversed the cut in the minimum wage.

We saved Irish taxpayers billions by negotiating cheaper rates on our debt, by liquidating Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide and replacing the penal promissory notes, and most recently by reaching agreement to repay expensive IMF loans early.

Our strategy of consistent and determined engagement with our international partners has transformed our international reputation and has resulted in real gains and real benefits for our people. The line of foreign direct investment remains very strong.

The billions saved will be invested back in our society including through better services for our people and better infrastructure for our economy.

If we followed the Sinn Fein policy in 2011 of telling the troika to go home with their money or telling Europe to ‘bugger off’ Ireland would be trapped into a vicious circle of forced bailouts and loss of national sovereignty.

The result of our strategy was to deliver our country from the bailout almost to the day a year ago without the need for a second bailout or other conditional arrangements.

We also took action to deal with the demons of Ireland’s cold and heartless past.

In my first speech here as Taoiseach I spoke about how a wound heals from the edges in.

And immediately I began that healing process in our country.

First were the women of the Magdelene Laundries.

We looked after our mothers and their babies in the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill.

We took care of the families of Priory Hall and those in pyrite homes.

We are working now to help the women who endured symphisiotomy procedures.

We are preparing for a referendum on Same Sex Marriage, something I know will mean so much to so many couples, their friends and families, the length and breadth of this country.

Just this week we moved on homelessness, which we will debate here tomorrow.

In every aspect of this work, I wanted to make sure we would banish the demons, the old cultural spectres of inhumanity.

I was determined that Ireland would never again be such a cold house for its people.

And I still am.

We are on a path of economic and social recovery.

I understand that many out there listening to this debate today still have not felt that in their lives.

I am as impatient as everyone else that the benefits of recovery are felt right across our country.

But today, much to the disappointment of the opposition, we’re out of the bail-out, we’re back in the markets.

The banks are stable.

There over 80,000 new jobs. That’s 80,000 people in all four corners of Ireland who get up every morning with a new sense of hope for the future.

The dole queues are at their lowest in five years

We are the fastest-growing economy in Europe.

The crushing deficit is down and will be eliminated completely by 2018

Better debt deals mean we have billions more to put into our public services, to make life a bit better and easier.

Personal taxes are down and people will benefit further from other tax restructuring in the forthcoming budgets.

Within the month, people will start to see a bit more in their pay packet as the first tax cuts come into play.

It will be the first time in a long time that people will get something back, that they will see some benefit, the recovery they suffered so much for will start ‘to come home’.

And it is for us to thank them for their sacrifice

No person is perfect. No Government is perfect. Nor am I.

Of course we didn’t get everything right along the way. I am the first to acknowledge that. Nor did we achieve all of the things we hoped for when we took office.

We must and will learn from our mistakes and do better for the people of Ireland.

I believe that 2014 will be seen as a watershed year in Ireland’s recovery when our economic policy delivered the resources needed to rebuild our communities and our society.

This economic momentum will be maintained next year.

After seven difficult years the people of Ireland can expect rising living standards, more disposable income and increasingly reformed public services.

These are the fruits of economic recovery and we have to make sure that all people, in all parts of Ireland, begin to feel it in their daily lives.

Since entering Government we have focused on rescuing the economy.

But economic survival is not enough. It never was. It is not a goal in itself. It does not represent the end of the Government’s plans or ambitions.

Because what is a recovery without humanity?

What is economic success without dignity, respect and compassion?

What is national wealth that takes no account of community or heart or mind or spirit?

What is reputation when men and women live and die on our streets?

Our work is not yet done.

This Government of Fine Gael and Labour have an ambitious agenda for the future of Ireland.

I want Ireland to be a country of opportunity.

Where people are free to achieve anything they set out to do and to reap the rewards of their efforts.

Where no lack of jobs, housing or services will hold back their life ambitions.

Our first priority is to complete the task of recovering all the jobs lost during the recession. That no-one is left unemployed or underemployed against their will.

We call this full employment and we have an ambitious plan to get there by 2020 at the latest.

It will involve the transformation of our welfare and job support services to transition everyone who is long term unemployed back into paid jobs. 2015 will see seismic reforms in this area as we rollout our JobPath initiative.

Next year our construction and social housing strategies will work to re-establish a sustainable construction sector that will provide the housing our people need.

New job creation, a growing economy and our ambitious reform plans will also help us deliver better services to help people reach their full potential.

We have reform plans in education, health care, and social welfare and many other areas that not only see changes next year but for the years ahead.

A Cheann Comhairle,

This Government, and I as Taoiseach, have succeeded, working in partnership with the people, in bringing Ireland back from the brink.

We remain fully focused on our plan for Ireland’s recovery.

Nothing will distract us from the important work of improving the lives of our people.

We will finish the task we were given by the people of Ireland and secure the recovery for the benefit of everyone.

I have no intention of creating any instability by calling a General Election in 2015. And my preference for Government after the General Election in 2016 is for a continuation of the coalition that has restored our economic sovereignty.

On the 9th of March 2011 this Government with the Irish people took leap of faith.

Faith that we can better ourselves.

Faith that we can renew Government.

Faith in a confident, shared future for ourselves, for our children and for our children’s children.

To make Ireland the best small country in the world for business, to raise and family, and grow old with a sense of dignity and respect.

I commend this motion to the House.