I wish to reply before putting the Order of Business. As we have stated all along, it is important that the Finance Bill is passed. We believe it is very important that this is done. That is a matter for the House to consider, taking up its responsibilities. Those supporting the Government will be voting in favour of the Finance Bill. I understand the Green Party will do likewise and others will consider the situation as we progress. I hope there is sufficient support in the House for the passing and enactment of the Bill.
It was suggested by Deputy Kenny that there is some confusion about Ireland's capacity to do its parliamentary and constitutional work. There is not; we are here to pass the Finance Bill during the course of the week at the insistence of the Opposition parties. The shortening of the timeframe for the consideration of the legislation has been accommodated through the discussions yesterday that took place between the Minister for Finance and the finance spokespersons.
The suggestion by Deputy Gilmore that the Government is not in a position to function is incorrect. We can confirm that the obligations undertaken in respect of the EU-IMF package for the first quarter of this year will be completed. The structural reforms required in the first quarter will be completed. Today, we had a Cabinet meeting that considered Committee Stage amendments, which will be put to the House in due course. Despite the fact that we are reduced in number, the workload of the Government is being taken on board by its members. Albeit for a relatively short period of time, it is important to let it be known that this Government is functioning as required by putting this legislation, by seeking to have the legislation carried and by carrying out our international obligations. Were people minded to do so, we have also indicated there is other legislation, including the NAMA (amendment) Bill, that could be taken before the House rises for the purpose of an election. That would be a positive signal sent by this House and the country to the effect that we are serious about our purpose and prepared to work with others should they be so minded to do so, parallel to this legislation. That is a matter that has not heard sufficient support. When people talk about the need to maintain our international reputation, completing this parliamentary work is an important factor in confirming and validating that fact.
There is also a suggestion of ending a period of instability. Certainly there have been political developments in the past week which have been significant but, first, I thank members of the Green Party for the work they have done during the course of our Administration. This is my first opportunity to do so now that the Green Party has made its decision to leave the Government while supporting the passage of the Finance Bill. I worked very closely with all of its members in their various capacities and it would be remiss of me not to articulate here my appreciation, as Taoiseach, since I became Taoiseach and before then as Minister for Finance, for their work and I wish them well for the future. I will not allow political differences to interfere with my personal relationships with the Deputies with whom I worked so closely.
Second, on the question of a fresh start suggested by Deputy Gilmore and moving to new policies, the whole election campaign will have to be about the pitch on which we all have to play. The pitch on which we have to play is the economic recovery plan that has been agreed. It is not a departure from policy that is required, it is the full and effective implementation of the policy framework that has been set out for this country that is what is required domestically and internationally. It is about who has the political capacity to implement those programmes to bring this country to full recovery that is the question. There will be many in the Opposition who will speak on this, and they are entitled to do so. I am sure that will be taken up in debate and that these proceedings here today will be not held up for that purpose. I make the point that we have just embarked upon a journey this country has to complete and it will be completed only on the basis of the sort of consolidation in our public finances which is critical for not only domestic but international investment and job creation. Much of the dialogue and rhetoric we hear is about job creation and seemingly jobs being able to be created at a time when people will not face up to the need to put our public finances in order to bring growth to our economy. That is the debate we can and will have. This Government can look forward to that debate because I am glad to say that, despite incessant opposition from day one, we have stuck to a consistent path which is working and a budgetary strategy which is working and will continue to work. That is something for which this Government, and those who support it, can argue very cogently in the coming weeks.
Rather than the politics as usual of motions and opposition, what we will need to see is not a party like the party here, or the parties in government, procrastinating or seeking to cling to office. This is a Government seeking to discharge its responsibilities to the country so that we can have our election against a settled background of a clear direction for our financial and budgetary policy during this crucial financial year of 2011. Having brought forward a budget which has met the requirements of the situation, we are in a position now to give legal expression to those decisions in this Finance Bill, on which I hope everyone will reflect deeply and take responsibility before we decide to divide in the normal way as if this was a normal situation. It is not, and it is important as Taoiseach that I say so, and I say so based on the authority of the office I hold.
In regard to what Deputy Gormley said about the reasons for the decision of his party on 22 November, it was our role in government then, now and in the future to dispel whatever sense of misleading Deputy Gormley feels the public had to endure. There are many times when a Government must, in the interests of protecting its taxpayers' interests, make sure it sets out parameters for discussions to enable it to get the best possible deal in the circumstances in which it finds itself. I do not accept any such suggestion of misleading the public. I firmly believe that people — who had other interests at heart, not perhaps our essential national interests — suggested that we had begun negotiating when in fact we had not, and they sought to bounce this country into a set of negotiations before I, the Minister for Finance or the Government were in a position to be satisfied that the conduct of those discussions would have an outcome with which we could concur. Ours was the correct approach.
The confidentiality of those preparations was totally in keeping with major financial decisions that are made from time to time. When we had our own currency, people were aware of what was required when a devaluation had to take place. People will know that it is not signalled weeks, days or hours beforehand. These are matters of such importance and seriousness that they must be dealt with in an appropriate way. They were dealt with in an appropriate way by this Government.
I thank the Minister for Finance for the outstanding work he did with colleagues in government during the time in question in order to have an outcome that means we now have the time and space in which to make decisions and proceed with policies resulting in economic recovery for this country consistent with the decisions and framework we adopted from the very beginning, at which time the magnitude of this crisis determined that our country's interests must come first, regardless of party political considerations.
Deputy Ó Caoláin referred to constitutional confusion. There is no constitutional confusion. It is only in recent times that the Deputy's party has come to recognise that we do have a constitution in this Republic. Our Constitution confirms that this Government is functioning properly thereunder. This Parliament is preparing to consider the most important legislation that will be considered before or after an election this year, namely, the Finance Bill 2011.
