Más cuimhin leis an Taoiseach, chuir mé ceist air inné ag iarraidh air éirí as a phost agus bhí mé dáiríre faoi sin. An raibh seans ag an Taoiseach smaoineamh ar sin? An cuimhin leis freisin an méid a dúirt sé faoin ábhar tábhachtach seo?

Who said this: "to take away your rights to have a medical card beyond the age of 70, I reject it, the cheek of it, shame on them"? That was the Taoiseach talking about Fianna Fáil's attack on senior citizens and it is perhaps a perfect example of the view of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources regarding election promises. Not only has the Government taken away the medical card from elderly people and others in dire need, it has cut income supports for young unemployed people, the bereavement grant, the telephone allowance, maternity benefit and the invalidity pension. It has attacked citizens from the cradle to the grave.

Not only does it insult the intelligence of these citizens, it shows no respect whatsoever for this Dáil. This Social Welfare and Pensions Bill, like a thief in the night, arrived into our pigeon holes overnight. It is to be rammed through in nine hours by the Government. We will have nine hours to debate a welfare Bill with huge implications and yet the Government says it is about political reform. Only last week, the Taoiseach promised a pre-legislative stage and less use of the guillotine. Obviously, he did not believe a word he said.

I again make the point that the Government has no mandate to do any of this. Fine Gael and the Labour Party sought a totally different mandate. People voted them in to do things differently from their predecessors, which is why yesterday I called on the Taoiseach and his Government to resign. I was not joking. I was serious. If the Government believes in what it is doing, it should go to the people and let them have their say. Will the Taoiseach resign and will the Labour Party and Fine Gael go to the people and seek a mandate for what they are doing?

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an cheist a chuir sé. Chuir sé ceist orm ar mhiste liom éirí as cinnireacht na tíre agus oifig an Taoisigh. Dúirt mé leis an Teachta inné nach bhfuil sé ar intinn agam é sin a dhéanamh ar chor ar bith. D'fhiafraigh an Teachta díom an raibh seans agam smaoineamh a dhéanamh faoi sin. Smaoinigh mé faoi aréir agus ar maidin agus is é an freagra céanna atá agam don Teachta. Séard atá i gceist ag an Rialtas seo, idir Pháirtí Fhine Gael agus Pháirtí an Lucht Oibre ná cruth ceart a chur ar eacnamaíocht na tíre agus poist a chur ar fáil do mhuintir na hÉireann. Sin atá i gceist agam. Is é sin an dualgas atá ar Rialtas na tíre agus tá sin á chomhlíonadh againn, cé go bhfuil sin deacair agus nach bhfuil sé éasca. Beidh seans ag muintir na hÉireann déileáil leis an Rialtas agus le h-iarrthóir ar bith a bheidh ag seasamh san olltoghchán atá ag teacht i 2016. Beidh freagra le fáil ag an Teachta agus agamsa ag an am sin.

Níl an Taoiseach macánta liom. Táim sásta go ndúirt sé go raibh sé ag smaoineamh faoin cheist a chuir mé air, ach ní chreidim an méid a dúirt sé liom. In Irish or English, the mark of this Government is one of breathtaking arrogance. It is clear from the Taoiseach's reply that he is indifferent. It is not that he does not know what is happening. He is indifferent to what is happening. It is not a matter of giving us pat answers in this forum. He is guided by a very narrow economic and ideological view that is to the right of the Tea Party in the United States. What he is doing is disgraceful and shameful. The axing of the telephone allowance to senior citizens is not even in the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013. The Government will not even give Members of this House, who have been elected and have a mandate, the right to vote on this issue.

The Taoiseach ignored my question about time allocated for the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013. He lambasted Fianna Fáil because it gave two days to the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill in 2009 and accused it of bulldozing the Bill through the Dáil in two days. He is going to do it in nine hours - a pathetic nine hours to deal with measures that will cut deeply into the very fibre of society. Whatever the Taoiseach thinks about the Labour Party, and it is obvious he treats it with indifference, does he not believe that citizens have the right at least to have these issues properly debated in this Chamber?

Deputy Adams has come a long way in 20 years.

What does that mean?

I am sure he remembers 20 years ago today. I want him to understand I have a mandate from the people to sort out the economic catastrophe left by the previous Government.

Not to do this.

As I said to Deputy Adams yesterday, we are not going to run away from either reality or our responsibility. That is our duty. In due course, the people will have the opportunity to give their verdict on this Government, as they will in respect of the future of every other Government in due course. What we have tried to do in very difficult circumstances is draft a budget that is focused on getting this country and our people out of the bailout programme. It is also focused on providing opportunity and incentive for people to be able to get employment, go back to work and contribute to their local economy and their country. Deputy Adams does not want that to happen because it is evident in the budget produced by Sinn Féin, which has black holes all over the place, that it would run every entrepreneur and taxpayer earning high salaries out of the country. That is probably what Sinn Féin would like to see.

I have news for Sinn Féin. We will not shirk our responsibility and will continue to make decisions in the best interests of the people in as fair a way as we can. While these decisions are not easy in any circumstances, as I said in answer to a question yesterday, it must have been great fun in the Cabinet room to be able to draft budgets with money it was thought did not have to be paid back. That could be done when billions were sloshing around, so to speak, in the economy and billions were going to waste. Unfortunately, from a political perspective, it is our privilege and duty to deal with the catastrophic consequences of that.

We are almost at the point of exiting the bailout programme. There are brighter days ahead for this country and it is the people who will be responsible for the pragmatic way they have approached this. I do not accept Deputy Adams's argument. It is my duty and privilege to be elected to this chair and office to lead our country and people out of this bailout, get our country back working, restore Ireland's name as a proud country around the world and give our people not just aspirational hope and confidence but also evidence of it in their daily lives. That Sinn Féin has not come up with a constructive suggestion in the past six months speaks for itself.