Speeches
Private Members Business on government Record - Extracts from Fiona O'Malleys speech in Dail on 5th July 2006
Private Members Business - Government Record - Extracts from Fiona O’Malley’s speech in the Dáil on Wednesday 5th July 2006.
This motion was supposed to teach the Government something of a lesson and in some way to cast aspersions on the record and the performance of the Government. This tactic has clearly backfired.
Lessons have been dished out but they are lessons on how to govern and what it means to govern: to govern is to choose. The Members opposite have suggested themselves as an alternative government, but I question the basis for that suggestion. No policies were proffered yesterday. Deputy Rabbitte mouthed a list of platitudes which like motherhood and apple pie, we are all in favour of but there was not one detail as to how any of it would be presented.
Why do they bother tabling a motion claiming they are ready for an election when they have not even bothered to put together anything of the fare they will offer the voters? If an election were called tomorrow, not one policy was given yesterday. They will have an opportunity today. What are their big ambitions for the country? Where is the vision? How do they propose to keep the success this country has enjoyed to date?
There was a big division on Private Members' Business last week.
Yesterday on the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill, there was the same problem. The Opposition could not agree as they did not have any coherence, and this was the case also with the Defence (Amendment) Bill and we have already heard all about transport and difficulties with energy.
Good governance is about choices. Knowing why one has made those choices and remaining steadfast to them. Consistency, courage and cohesion are all vital elements in a successful Government. There has been no evidence of any of this in the debate to date.
The same holds true in politics. Decrying the Government's performance is all very well, the people want to know what the Opposition will do if given the opportunity and what choices an alternative Government would make.
The trump card the Opposition continues to play is that it is time for a change. This is no panacea. If the Opposition thinks that will win them the next election, they are in for a shock. They will have to try harder and credit the people with intelligence.
Coherent and costed policies will have to be presented to the people.
The Labour Party and Fine Gael missed that golden opportunity in the Private Members' motion tonight. The Deputies give the impression that they are looking to take over a scout den rather than a nation.
It is a nation which has enjoyed enormous prosperity. The people will not yield the prudent and careful management of the country on the basis of the Opposition "not having had a go for ages". Government is very different to being in Opposition.
Governance is about being prepared to make hard choices, experience, conviction, dedication and drive. The Opposition has sadly been lacking all of these throughout the debate. Ireland is not a perfect nation, but it is not the grim, desolate and dangerous place set out by the Opposition. To say it is is to let the people down.
I will conclude on this point. In the next election the Government will stand on its record. I have no doubt it will be successful on that record.