The motion before us relates to confidence in the Government. No decent Deputy could walk through the lobbies at 4 p.m. and vote confidence in this Government. We have seen a despicable performance by the Minister for Education. We know that the Lenihans, Mary and Brian, lay great store on loyalty but I suggest that loyalty is only merited by those who deserve it. The Taoiseach does not deserve the loyalty proclaimed by the various Ministers.
The Minister for Education has not given us the full truth about the Carysfort matter. She has been selective in what she has put on the record. She has failed to answer the fundamental charge relating to the profit made by Pino Harris at the intervention of the Taoiseach who commended to UCD the purchase of that property. The Minister stands castigated for her performance today. It is a bad reflection on democracy. To add insult to injury, she pranced out of the House declaring that she was going to a press conference. That is indicative of the attitude of Fianna Fil and the Progressive Democrats. They are far more interested in lines in the papers than honest Government and genuine commitment to the people. They are interested in Government only for their own self-promotion, self-advancement and publicity. Our forefathers fought very hard for the [1039] establishment of the democratic institutions of this State. The Dil and Seanad should be respected by the Government as democratic institutions. Matters of serious importance should be brought first to this House and discussed here. Instead, today there is a Government press conference to present to the press what the Government have decided. This House is literally being ignored by the Government. The democratic institutions of the State are being ignored. Unfortunately a dictatorship is in operation.
Could we blame people for becoming increasingly cynical about public life, politicians, this House and the Government? I refer to the young people who are applying for Morrison visas, the 260,000 people who are unemployed, old people who are on waiting lists for hip operations, unfortunate people who are lying on stretchers on corridors of hospitals. This Government have brought disgrace to the nation. Any honourable and decent person recognises that this Government reflect very poorly on the Irish people. It is time the Government removed themselves from office.
I eventually succeeded today in getting a copy of the programme agreed by the Progressive Democrats and Fianna Fil. I managed to obtain it in the corridor; it was not brought before this House. It is a cobbling together of a lot of words without any substance. The Government have pursued tactics over the past four days to ensure that the Opposition parties will not be in a position to debate the real Programme for Government for the next two years. They are ashamed to present it because it has such little substance. Fundamental questions have not been addressed.
We will not be silenced by Deputy Roche or any other member of Fianna Fil who makes allegations. We will not be intimidated or silenced by such tactics. That is what Fianna Fil have been attempting to do. We will continue to search, investigate and publicise in every possible way any instance where the Government are misusing taxpayers' [1040] money. Scandal after scandal has repeatedly proved the abuse of power and the misuse of taxpayers' money.
We fully support the full disclosure of interests. The programme states that a register of all Members' material interests will be established from September 1992 and will be available in the Oireachtas Library. What a weak statement. What are the specific details? What will be registered? Any of us can register that we own a house or so many shares. Ten days later what is to stop any Member from engaging in further business activities which will not be entered on the register? There is no provision for a code of conduct.
The programme goes on to state that the Government are determined to ensure the highest standards of ethical behaviour in the conduct of all State and commercial business dealings. They do not state that they are committed to the highest standards of ethical behaviour by Ministers and Ministers of State. That is notably missing from the programme. When the Minister for Industry and Commerce, Deputy O'Malley, was questioned on the matter, he sidetracked and said it was a matter for the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. The Government do not want to put the full facts on the table. It is time they were removed from office so that another Government could put proper procedures in place.
The Government in this programme do not deal with the important issue of European political union. It is mentioned only in a paragraph which simply states that there are no obstacles to prevent Ireland from participating fully in the front rank of European nations. There is no clue as to what these two parties intend to do, what ideas they have on the issues in question and what they are saying in Europe - if they are saying anything at all. This Government are being led by other members and have no ideas of their own going to the conference table in Europe. That is extremely unfortunate.
What is the view of the Government on the North Atlantic Treaty or the Western [1041] European Union Treaty which expires in 1997? Do they believe there should be a new European defence treaty? We have no idea of their view. What is the future for the people when the Government have no specific idea of where they are going? In the area of defence all we have in the programme is a statement of what we already know. Only two days ago a Franco-German proposal was made regarding the establishment of a European army. Do the Government have a view on that issue? If so, are they expressing it in Europe? We do not know. The programme gives no information.
This Government are a sham, a group of self-interested people trying to maintain their hold on office to further their own interests and self-advancement. Young people are very cynical. They see a culture of grab and greed and the fast buck, where honour and integrity in public life are no longer to be commended. Some people talk about "Garret the Good" with a laugh, as if to be good in politics is something one should not be; in other words, that it is no longer right or proper in public life to have certain ideals or principles or a commitment to high standards. The people are not being served by this Government. The Government do not reflect our concerns: they are not doing anything to address them. All they are doing is to literally protect their own self-interests, to promote and ensure that a certain golden circle in this community, particularly based in the Dublin area, continues, to advance and make the quick buck. It is extremely unfortunate.
We should recognise the fragility of democracy and the importance of Members of this House having the highest standards and an absolutely untarnished pedigree in relation to their performance in public office. That is vital. We should recognise that our democracy is only in place for 70 years. On the international front I am sure many countries looking at Ireland right now are saying that we are nothing more than a banana republic. I am sure we are being compared with some of the most appalling types of states in parts of Africa and [1042] that we even compare badly with some of them. On the international front there is now no confidence in the Irish economy. What did this Government do for the past three or four months to-ing and fro-ing in relation to bringing forward an agreement? They destabilised the economy. It is neither right nor proper for any party over there to put the blame on the other. Both are jointly responsible. Both had the responsibility to have that programme well put together before the House came back here two days ago. Instead of that they adopted various positions and ended up at the 11th hour cobbling together a document that is hardly worth the paper it is written on.
Is this what the people of Ireland deserve? I put it to the Minister that it is not. The Party Whip is very important and internal party politics seem to be more important to Fianna Fil than the national interest. That is extremely unfortunate. Politics in Ireland have now reached an all-time low and the finger must point at Deputy Haughey who is the main architect and instigator of that. Go back to 1969 and from 1969 to 1979 and through the eighties. Once Deputy Haughey appeared the rot followed. Deputies Browne and Davern may smile on the backbenches but that is the reality. The level of decency that was in the leadership of Fianna Fil is no longer there. Fianna Fil now get into office in order to be in a position to gain from being elected to this House. I would appeal to the decent Fianna Fil TDs - and there are some decent men and women in Fianna Fil - to have the gumption to speak out and say they are not prepared to tolerate this level of orchestration, this low level political behaviour, and that they want this Taoiseach out. It is unfortunate that they have not the gumption to do that and it is indeed a very poor reflection on them. I appeal to them to consider that matter in the interests of the Irish people and the Irish nation.
At this stage all decent Irish people feel disappointed, saddened and totally ashamed at the performance of this Government particularly the manner in which all these scandals were allowed to [1043] develop under various Ministers. That happened because, as everybody knows, the Taoiseach is the boss and dare one disobey him. Fianna Fil Deputies must do as they are told or else. We well know how that operates but unfortunately the Fianna Fil Deputies have not got the gumption to take him on. That is the situation within Fianna Fil today.
It is sad that this House has to discuss this matter in the present political circumstances. It is unfortunate that the people have to listen to scandal after scandal compounding the level of mismanagement by this Government. It is unfortunate that the Progressive Democrats and Fianna Fil have, at the 11th hour, cobbled together a document just for the sake of the vote at 4 o'clock in order to retain their respective ministerial offices. I hope that at a very early date the people will have an opportunity of showing what they think of this Government because I believe they are disgusted and want this Government out and out quickly.

