Tánaiste Mary Coughlan has accused Opposition parties of trying to smear the Government’s reputation with “unjustified and disingenuous” criticism of its handling of the banking crisis.
While the Government has had to face one of the most difficult periods in the State’s history, she claimed “backbiting” from the Opposition over last 19 months had progressed to “new lows”.
Speaking at Fianna Fáil conference in Galway today, Ms Coughlan said words like corruption and allegations of unspecified impropriety were being thrown about by the Opposition “like confetti”.
“Week after week continue the snide comments from the ivory towers on the Opposition benches,” she said.
“Cheap-shots about Fianna Fáil bailing out their friends the bankers, bailing out their friends the developers, and bailing out anyone and everyone else about whom there is the potential for an easy headline.”
In one of the strongest defences of Government policy mounted by a Cabinet minister in recent months, Ms Coughlan said the Coalition was taking extremely difficult decisions that were in the “best long term interests” of the country.
"These decisions involve the unpalatable and the unpopular, but we have to place the needs of our country ahead of any considerations of political popularity," she claimed.
“So, to our detractors I say, disagree with us, yes; but don’t ever call into question my or my colleagues’ bone fides. It is time to grow up and start playing the ball, not the man. There is too much at stake for this country right now.”
In her address, she said: “Does anyone really believe that I or any of my Fianna Fáil colleagues in Government — Brian Cowen, Brian Lenihan, Noel Dempsey, Dermot Ahern, Micheál Martin, Éamon Ó Cuív, Mary Hanafin, Batt O’Keeffe, Brendan Smith, Pat Carey or Tony Killeen - are in some way corrupt or beholding to banks or developers?.
