I welcome this opportunity to support the motion of confidence in the Government. In the best interests of the country, I do so without hesitation.
Unlike the Opposition I am not obsessed with personalities. I am more concerned with solving the serious economic problems confronting our country rather than engaging in the kind of old-fashioned point-scoring emphatically rejected by Deputy Dukes. How can Deputies John Bruton and Dick Spring question this House about mismanagement when, during their period in office in a previous Coalition Government, there were record levels of inflation, interest rates and emigration? Do they forget that, during their period in office, they doubled the national debt? Since I entered this House in 1989 I have been constantly amazed at the short memories of those on the Opposition benches. It should be pointed out that it was the present Government who finally confronted the economic mess they inherited in 1987, who devised a series of policies and initiatives putting us on the road to national recovery. As important as are those policies, of equal importance was the perception in the country at that time that some Government was about to grapple with the terrible economic position they had inherited. It was that realisation that brought together the social partners. It is that realisation that keeps the social partners together. The Programme for National Recovery and the Programme for Economic and Social Progress did not fall from the sky. They reflect a sense of realism, confidence and pragmatism, demonstrating that we can succeed only by working together.
Another aspect of the Government's resolve to succeed was their decision to involve men and women of experience, men and women with ideas from outside as well as inside the Civil Service. These men and women were recruited on the basis of their expertise, on the basis of what they could contribute to national recovery, not on the basis of party political affiliations. The Government gave [938] these people a brief and, regardless of recent allegations, the Government can do no more than trust such appointees to public bodies. Any employers, be they Government or a private company, must be able to trust their officers. I understand from recent allegations that this trust may have been abused in a small number of areas. When questions were raised the Government responded immediately by setting up an independent inquiry to investigate the allegations made. To move from this to question the competence of this Government is absurd. If the Opposition have no confidence in the Government, let them argue their case in terms of Government policy. While I agree with some other speakers that some changes have to be made in the area of Dil reform, for example, placing greater emphasis on job creation, the broad strategy of Government is correct.
Since he took over as Taoiseach in 1987, Deputy Charles Haughey has brought a sense of direction to Government policy. The Government quickly moved on the PNR and adopted a new sectoral approach to certain areas of the economy which until then had been handled by broader Government Departments. Specific offices for food, horticulture and science and technology were established, which have proved to be very successful. The focus on sectoral areas should be extended to other areas of public policy as well.
The Government's decentralisation policy is another aspect. I welcome the fact that the Department of Social Welfare decided last August to regionalise the management of their services. Instead of unemployment offices dealing exclusively with payments, these offices will offer the widest possible range of services for their customers. Such initiatives indicate a fresh approach. Employment creation is just as much a community experience as anything else. Side by side with the activities of the IDA, we must involve the communities. Jobs can be created from the bottom up as from the top down. I have every [939] confidence in this Government formulating and implementing policies which the community need, and I support the motion without hesitation.

