The Minister for Finance strongly rejected Opposition claims that the Government had misled voters on the economy in last May's general election.
Mr McCreevy said that for some time the Opposition had little constructive to offer other than to grumble that the electorate was misled. "This allegation is a complete canard."
The Minister was speaking during the resumed debate on the Fine Gael motion of no confidence in him. The Government defeated the motion by 82 votes to 60.
Defending his ministerial record, Mr McCreevy said the real significance of the motion had nothing to do with his discharging his functions as Minister and everything to do with the terminal decline of Fine Gael. "I find it somewhat amusing to be at the receiving end of criticism over my alleged mathematical deficiencies from deputies who have yet to comprehend the difference between being decimated and being halved.
"If Fine Gael had only been decimated in the last election, Deputy [Michael] Noonan might still be leader and Deputy \ Kenny might have a prospect of achieving ministerial office at some point in the future.
"Instead, in an attempt to gain name recognition east of Castlebar, Deputy Kenny is trying for a place in the Guinness Book of Records by being the first party leader to promote a vote of no confidence in a Minister before the Minister announces his Budget."
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, said that in recent times, "the Rock, the big fella Charlie McCreevy" had been found out. "His stroke of doing the national equivalent of clearing off the overdraft by putting it on the Amex - gold, of course - has come back to haunt him. But, clearly, the awful reality of the financial quagmire he'd got himself into - or more correctly the dire needs to extricate himself from it - had dawned on our Minister long before. No sooner was he back in office than he instigated his survival plan. He'd been discovered."
Labour, the Green Party, Sinn Féin, and a number of Independents joined Fine Gael in the call for Mr McCreevy's resignation.
The Labour spokeswoman on finance, Ms Joan Burton, said: "The stunning part of all this is the breathless U-turn this Minister has made from the days of his starring role as tormentor of the Squire of Kinsealy. How that old fox must smile and smile into his champagne cup as he see the saint of fiscal rectitude stray from the holy path and fall prey to all the sins and temptations for which he excoriated his former leader."
Mr Dan Boyle (Green Party, Cork South Central) accused the Minister of arrogance, claiming that he had presided over a wealthier Ireland that had lost its sense of well-being. "It is an Ireland which is more competitive and individualistic, while losing its sense of community."
Mr Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Sinn Féin, Cavan-Monaghan) said that on Tuesday that the Tánaiste had described Mr McCreevy as a rock. "Well, if that's the case, then the country is between a rock and a hard place. We have the Minister on one side and the hard neck of the Taoiseach and Tánaiste on the other." He added that Mr McCreevy's words four days before the election - in which he said no significant overruns and no cutbacks whatsoever, secretly or otherwise, were being planned - were now etched into Irish political history.
Mr Finian McGrath (Independent, Dublin North Central) said there were 1,711 people with intellectual abilities currently seeking residential service. A total of 861 needed day-care services, while 462 had no services. "Unemployment among disabled people is running at 70 per cent. There is the Celtic Tiger. I strongly support the motion."
Mr Joe Higgins (Socialist Party, Dublin West) accused the Minister of favouring big business while failing to extend medical cards to poor people.
Ms Marian Harkin (Independent, Sligo-Leitrim) said balanced regional development would never happen under the current national development plan. "I have no confidence in the Minister, who is unable to achieve a fundamental objective of balanced regional development."
