This Government remind me of the life cycle of the banana which in its early stage is green but straight and later becoming crooked and yellow.
If Ireland was a private company it would be declared bankrupt. Why would it go bankrupt? A private company with a [992] chief executive like the Taoiseach would ensure that a few senior executives and himself would dominate the entire business. There would be no information shared with anybody and certainly excessive profits would be neither publicised nor shared with the ordinary employees. The company would be heavy on publicity, very light on research and development and after years of domination in the market place would find that their code of business ethics and products were no longer acceptable or required.
Ireland as a nation has now reached that low level of standards. The way we do things and the way we expect others to act is conditional on the way governments lead by example. Try telling the parents of an 11 year old girl who has been waiting for a life saving operation in the UK for over four months that it is all in a good cause because there are insufficient funds available. Ask a 60 year old man who can hardly sit to meals at home or get two hours sleep at night because of arthritis to make the supreme sacrifice and wait three years for an operation and in the same breath tell him it is possible for a few manipulators to make 8 million in 11 months on what can only be described as a shady deal.
Fianna Fil have had a long history of single party Government and for considerable periods of time. Anybody who can remember their 16 years uninterrupted period up to 1973 will remember the outright arrogance of Ministers during that period. Fianna Fil always tried to dominate people and pressure them into submission.
Until quite recently many people believed that one could not get a job, renew one's medical card or get into or out of hospital unless one hitched one's wagon to the Fianna Fil convoy. How they milked that system. Part of this history is coming back to haunt them now.
The present golden circle syndrome is repugnant to real democracy and is an insult to every man and woman who works hard for a living. The golden circle is in fact a type of protection racket similar to the activities of the paramilitaries [993] in the North. If one is in the inner circle one knows everything, controls everything, manipulates everything and one's chances of making a financial killing is increased at least a hundredfold.
Ireland's image has suffered untold damage in the past three months. Every morning the financial papers of Europe carried stories of financial scandals, deceit and intrigue that would leave Sherlock Holmes bewildered. Imagine the job that Cras Trchtla and the IDA will have in trying to get investment into our country after this.
Deep down Fianna Fil backbenchers are sick to the teeth of the goings on but there is a price on that concern. They believe a heave against the Taoiseach will not work unless Ministers and Ministers of State join forces with them. Present Fianna Fil Ministers and Ministers of State like their perks. To remove the boss might cause them to drive themselves around the country for an indefinite period. The backbenchers also know that if the Taoiseach sees the balance of power tilt against him he will run to the Park and if that happens there will be at least 15 Fianna Fil Deputies checking on their pension entitlements and speaking kindly to county councillors.
For many people the current upheavals are no surprise given the Fianna Fil record, but there is a complication this time that was never there before. The Progressive Democrats said on their foundation that they should break the mould in Irish politics, that there would be no shady dealings, no "cute hoor" activities; there would be reward for hard work. The list goes on and on. I believe they meant that at the time. The vast majority of the present Progressive Democrats Deputies broke from Fianna Fil for activities several times less serious than the present scandals. What are they doing now? Are they able to get the leopard to change his spots or will they hang on in there for the trappings of power? They appeared to have the conscience of the nation draped around their shoulders only about two years ago or maybe they are returning to the code of conduct they were trained into in Fianna [994] Fil before they departed from that fold. One way or another the Progressive Democrats now find themselves locked into a Government who have disgraced themselves.
This Government operate on two levels. On the fast lane there is the insider dealing, relationships carefully developed with big business interests, membership of exclusive clubs, a "scratch me and I'll scratch you" attitude and above all the creation of structures that allow deals to be done in secret.
On the slow lane we have 265,000 people unemployed, the vast majority of whom believe they will never work again. We have 20,000 people who have no house to call their own and who live in frightful conditions, and we have thousands of parents living on the breadline trying to give their children third level education. We have farmers living on 40 per week.
The Minister for Social Welfare told me yesterday that 1 million earmarked in the budget of this year will not now go to farmers but back into the Department of Finance. Medical cards are being taken up at an alarming rate and countless thousands of women are caring for their loved ones 24 hours a day without any financial recognition despite the famous carer's allowance. How could there be money for these worthy causes when a handful of grab alls take the lot?
One of the worst performances ever put up by an Irish Minister in Europe is that by Deputy O'Kennedy, Minister for Agriculture and Food. I can only refer to him as the office boy of Europe. I believe he has no say in things. I believe he has never put before the European Community a detailed plan of where Ireland would like to go. He has never put together a programme to put before his colleagues in Europe or told them the bottom line below which Irish agricultural families will not go. He merely reacts to everything. It is now at the stage where other Ministers take it for granted that they will have no problems from Michael O'Kennedy. When the dust settles and all the important conferences that are about to take place are over Irish [995] farmers will find themselves on the deck with nobody to protect them despite what the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Collins, said a few minutes ago. As far as Irish agriculture is concerned we are definitely in the slow lane.
The Government have no credibility, no matter what they patch up between them today. They should do the decent thing and allow people who have the ability and credibility to take over to do so. I ask the Government to do the proper thing and get out of office so that somebody can do the job properly.


