This day last year the Taoiseach participated in a television debate prior to the general election. In the course of that debate he said that street violence is a very small aspect of crime. He said that if returned to Government, Fianna Fáil would eliminate waiting lists within two years and recruit a further 2000 gardaí. Let us look at what has happened one year on. The education building programme has been cut by €88 million. The national drugs funding strategy has been cut by €7 million. Government funding for FÁS and community employment schemes has been cut by €86 million. The first-time buyers' grant has been abolished and overseas aid has been cut by approximately €40 million.

How can the Taoiseach come into this House one year on, a year after he sent a letter, with the imprimatur of the Minister for Finance, to the leaders of the parties saying that no cuts were planned in public expenditure in secret or by any other means when we now have cutback after cutback, waiting lists increasing and the decimation of public services, which is far from what we were told? At the current rate of Garda recruitment, it would be 40 years before 2,000 extra gardaí are on the streets. Public crime has increased from 45 incidents per day in 1996 to 117 per day now. Hospital waiting lists have increased by 4,300 between June and September last year and the Government and the Minister for Health and Children have not published any figures since then. I could give other examples, as can others. Will the Taoiseach not now admit, one year on in his second term of office, that the letter sent out and what he said in a television debate this day last year was the biggest political lie ever perpetrated on the Irish people in the last decade?

The Deputy must withdraw the word "lie".

I am referring, Sir, to the letter sent by the Minister for Finance which stated that no cutbacks were planned in secret or in private.

The Deputy will have to withdraw the word "lie".

What would you call it?

I am referring to the letter that was sent out by the Minister for Finance and what the Taoiseach said last year in a television debate.

Please, Deputy, withdraw the word "lie".

The Taoiseach said last year that he would recruit 2,000 extra gardaí—

The word "lie" is unparliamentary, Deputy, and we do not allow it.

—he would eliminate waiting lists within two years and so on.

I have asked the Deputy to withdraw the word "lie".

The highest inflation rate in Europe.

If it is helpful I will say it was the greatest ever deceit perpetrated upon the Irish public.

Would that be a good word?

I would prefer the Deputy to withdraw it—

I withdraw the word "lie", a Cheann Comhairle, and replace it with the greatest deception ever perpetrated on the Irish public.

I will deal with some of the matters raised by Deputy Kenny and thank him for the opportunity a year on to remind people of what we said. In 2002 the economies of the world drifted back substantially.

Allow the Taoiseach to continue without interruption, please.

That is unlikely because they always interrupt a Cheann Comhairle. However, as our economy dropped back from 12% to 2%, I said that if re-elected we would continue to have a stable economy here and we would continue to put money into welfare, as we have done. We increased the social welfare budget by 6% and put €550 million into the social exclusion fund. We said we would continue to maintain the economic growth of this country. Other than China in the first quarter—

What about the health service?

—this country has continued to have the highest growth rate. We have continued to invest money across the board. There has been a 7% increase in funding of the public services. Spending on education has been increased this year by 12%—

The only one the Taoiseach is deceiving is himself.

That is last year's speech.

Only Deputy Kenny is entitled to ask a supplementary question.

We have put €1 billion extra into the health service and last year an extra 180,000 patients were treated in the Dublin hospitals alone. The in-patient waiting list is down to 18,000. We have continued to implement the national development plan and Ireland has the highest number, pro rata, of houses being built anywhere—

Allow the Taoiseach to reply.

We have continued to maintain, sustain and expand a range of services. Even in a difficult international economic climate, this Government, united in its purpose, has negotiated a sustained programme and continued to keep unemployment low.

It is good for people that this Government was elected because it would have been a disaster if anybody else had been in Government.

I have listened to this type of reply for a number of months. Just a year ago the Taoiseach told the public, in a formal television debate to put himself forward for re-election, that he would eliminate waiting lists within two years, recruit 2,000 extra gardaí and deal with the other issues referred to in the programme for Government. The Taoiseach did not mention the 10,000 people waiting for elective day surgery. There are 1,900 people waiting in Beaumont, 1,900 waiting in Letterkenny and 800 in Limerick.

The Taoiseach has failed the test of commitment to politics and to live up to the promises he made so solemnly last year. He has let down the integrity of politics and ruined, for many young people, the aspiration of ever owning a house. A clinical nurse said last week in Tallaght Hospital: "In the 1980s, Charlie Haughey closed beds and bought shirts; this is 2003 and Bertie Ahern is closing beds and buying jets". These are the words of a senior clinical nurse and they epitomise what the population thinks about this Government. The end is not yet here but it is nigh.

In reply to Deputy Kenny and the people he quotes, including the nurses, in the last year we have continued to increase the number of nurses. There are more nurses than ever in the training schools. In the Dublin hospitals alone, there are 6,800 more nurses than there were a few years ago. Over €1 billion has been put into the health service to continue the major capital programme there.

What did the Taoiseach get for it?

The Taoiseach is a failure.

In the Dublin hospitals alone, 180,000 extra people are being treated. That is a substantial amount of cover.

The Taoiseach failed the test.

The Deputy mentioned housing. Almost 60,000 houses have been built, of which 12,000 were affordable housing.

A house costs €400,000.

There are far more in the voluntary housing sector.

That is a fantasy.

These are record figures compared to anything we had previously.

The Chair has stated on many occasions that the Chair cannot allow a situation to develop where any Member on either side of the House is called by the Chair and wishes to make a contribution is prevented from doing so. Every Member of the House is entitled to make a contribution. The Taoiseach is entitled to do it now because he has been called by the Chair. The Chair cannot allow a situation to continue where he or any Member of the House, is frustrated from making a contribution.

The Taoiseach is provoking Members on this side of the House.

Less of the jackboot tactics, Emmet.

It is worth noting, and Deputy Kenny acknowledges this, that in terms of economic growth this country, despite international difficulties, is still second only to China, and I am not sure what is happening there in the second quarter because that country has difficulties now. We have maintained people in employment and have a low unemployment rate.

We are doing extraordinarily well.

That is a long minute, a Cheann Comhairle. Do you have a clock?

In spite of the various views of the Opposition, this country will continue to do well. We will continue to have good economic growth, create jobs, stop emigration and put money into services. If there are any good suggestions from the Opposition, we will take them on board but I have not heard one in the last 12 months.