John Barrys Blog

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny speaks with Bloomberg's Maryam Nemazee and Simon Kennedy at Davos Jan. 26, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:44:00 +0000

Jan. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny discusses the Irish economy and yesterday's 3.5 billion euro-bond switch. He speaks with Bloomberg's Maryam Nemazee and Simon Kennedy on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. (Source: Bloomberg)

Video: Northern Lights Over Norway Illuminated by Solar Storm on January 22, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:09:00 +0000

The Sun's far reaching effects on Earth's upper atmosphere were put on display on January 22, 2012 and captured by Helge Mortensen of Norway. A January 19th solar flare and ensuing Earth-directed coronal mass ejection is behind this aurora borealis. - Original Music by Mark C. Petersen, Loch Ness Productions
[The beauty of God's creation]

Lila Rose of Live Action in Moving Address at Students For Life of America Conference 2012

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:41:00 +0000

In an enthralling address to the Students For Life of America Conference 2012 Lila Rose describes how she came to be involved in the pro life movement. She also outlines the modus operandi of Live Action. She has been hugely influenced by Mother Teresa of Calcutta and displays a great love for God.

Film Videos: Gospa The Miracle of Medjugorje (Martin Sheen and Morgan Fairchild)

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:27:00 +0000

"The Miracle of Medjugorje" is a new HD movie that focuses on the most prevalent but yet often overlooked miracle. That miracle is the miracles of millions upon millions of people returning to God as a result of the Blessed Mother calling all living souls to return to God.

What is causing so many people to put God in the first place in their lives? Are you ready for Jesus? Is Medjugorje connected to Our Lady of Fatima?

See the first few days of this story told in detail. Hear about the miracle of the word MIR (Peace) appearing in the sky.

See Mirjana's yearly apparition on March 18th 2010 and commentary on what she sees and feels.

Listen to all six visionaries talk. Hear the visionaries talk about the first miraculous medical cure a blind man, and Ivanka embracing her deceased mother.

See for yourself the miracle of gold rosaries, the miracle of weeping bronze statue and see actual footage of the miracle of the sun and hear true testimony to phenomenon.

But most important of all see the biggest miracle of all, thousands of people 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for more than 29 years , praying day and night, confessing and converting their life's back to God.

Hear about Mary's role in helping bring you to Her Son Jesus. She tells us about opening our hearts to Jesus, praying from the heart, and the power of prayer and fasting.

Let s focus on what the Blessed Mother is telling us to do through her messages from heaven.

"Pray Pray Pray!" (youtube)

Full Film [Martin Sheen (Actor), Michael York (Actor), Jakov Sedlar (Director) | Format: DVD ] can be purchased at Amazon

Video: Jane Roe (of Roe V Wade) Pro life Commercial-An Analysis

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:30:00 +0000

End the Abortion Holocaust

Today January 23rd marks the 39th anniversary of the infamous Roe V Wade ruling on abortion by the United States Supreme Court. January 23rd 1973 was a day of infamy and shame for the US. Since this video was made in 2008 a further four million children have perished at the hands of abortionists in the US. This brings the total abortion count to 54 million. Worldwide it is estimated that over one thousand million children have been aborted.
The Nazis slaughtered 6 million Jews during World War Two. Yet nine times as many unborn children in the US have been slaughtered in the ghastly abortion holocaust. The abortion clinics are the new death chambers. Abortion is the biggest mass murder in the history of mankind.
It is particularly sad to see that the once great Democratic Party is now a pro -abortion front. It secures massive funding from pro- abortion agencies and busily promotes their agenda. President Obama is the most liberal pro- abortion president ever elected.
Many Democrats are nominally Catholics-Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Kathleen Sibelius, John Kerry to name but a few. Yet they openly support the provision of abortion.
Any Catholic politician who aids the provision of abortion in any way excommunicates himself/herself automatically under Canon Law.

Those Catholics who publicly announce their denial that abortion is always gravely immoral, or who publicly promote abortion, or who publicly argue in favor of legalized abortion, also commit a mortal sin and also incur a sentence of automatic excommunication.

This sentence of excommunication applies to Catholics who are politicians, as well as to those Catholics who are political commentators, or public speakers, or who write or otherwise publicly communicate their erroneous view that abortion can be morally-acceptable or that abortion should be legal. This sentence of excommunication also certainly applies to those Catholics who claim to be theologians or Biblical scholars, but who believe or teach that abortion is not always gravely immoral....

Those who provide such substantial assistance commit a mortal sin and incur a sentence of automatic excommunication (canon 1398). (Abortion and Excommunication)

Nancy Pelosi endeavours to use conscience as an excuse. Now of course an informed conscience is always a sine qua non in these matters. Pelosi's attempt to hide behind conscience is a despicable cop out. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in the Huffington Post is busy drumming up support for the pro -abortion cause. Yet according to Wiki she is a Catholic.

To visualise the extent of the destruction of unborn life in the US it is necessary to imagine 54 million small white crosses each representing the slaughter of an unborn child. Truly we live in the Dark Ages. It is time to vote out pro -abort politicians and repeal Roe V Wade.
Interesting how pro- aborts refer to themselves as pro-choice. Pro- choice is a euphemism designed to camouflage the reality that abortion is murder. The right to kill (abortion) cannot be equated with the right to life. Pro-choice is sanitised language designed to mislead the gullible.
It is time to end the pretense. Pro-life supporters should never use the term pro-choice. It only serves to dignify murder of the unborn. Let's call abortion what it is. It is the deliberate killing of the innocent unborn child in the womb.
Here is an ultrasound .
Pro-aborts have no more excuses for killing the unborn. Medical science has now laid bare the truth. Life begins at conception. Period . Finally it is important to remember that infanticide was one of the reasons for the decline of the Romam Empire. Hopefully the politicians of today will learn the lessons of history.

Medjugorje Author Wayne Weible to visit Holy Trinity Church Dunkirk, New York

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:24:00 +0000

Come hear Wayne Weible, internationally acclaimed author and speaker on Medjugorje, at Holy Trinity Church this Thursday, Jan. 26. [Ceremonies begin with Mass celebrated by Fr. Raymond Donohue and Fr. Joseph Zalacca at 6:30 p.m. The author will speak immediately following Mass in the church]

He will also be at The Book Nook for a book signing on Wednesday, Jan. 25. [In the Dunkirk-Fredonia Plaza at 7 p.m.]
According to Weible, thousands have been transformed by what has happened in the small mountain village of Medjugorje, in the mountains of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Alleged apparitions of the Blessed Mother to six village children began more than 30 years ago and continue to this day. Weible says Our Lady's mission is one of peace and love; she has come to earth to re-educate all and to help convert and re-center lives back to God. He writes that Our Lady's role has always been one of guiding people to Her Son, Jesus and that it is important that both the magnitude and the urgency of Our Lady's call to conversion are understood, and that "we respond with all our hearts." (Continue reading HERE)

Pro Life Video: Jacquie Stalnaker Speaks About Her Abortion

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:13:00 +0000

Jacquie Stalnaker gives her testimony about the pain of her abortion and her journey to healing, as she speaks at a gathering of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign in Washington DC on January 22, 2010.

Jacquie Stalnaker's boyfriend drove her to an abortion clinic with a gun on the floor of the car. He told her their baby would die that day, or that both she and the baby would. When she came out of the clinic afterward, he was nowhere to be found and never seen again. She collapsed on the street, lost half the blood in her body, and subsequently survived recurring stage-four uterine cancer and the removal of a 25-pound tumor.

She had aborted the only child she would ever conceive, and she lived with her secret for decades. Continue reading HERE

Newfoundland Video : Iceberg collapses into the sea in Twillingate

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:35:00 +0000

This video captures a spectacular view of a multi-storey iceberg breaking apart in Spillers Cove, Twillingate. Twillingate is also known as the Iceberg Capital of the World. This sleepy fishing village sees numerous of these frozen ancient giants drift down iceberg alley each year and visitors travel from afar to Newfoundland Canada to witness these awe-inspiring phenomena each year. This giant iceberg broke apart on Saturday 5 July 2008 at 3:45 pm in full view of a group of tourist specators who hiked out to the point to view the iceberg - one of the last of the season - and Mother Nature responded with this perfectly timed show. Much of the sound in the video comes from the release of trapped gas in the ice which is made up of age-old pure fresh water. More about the community where this took place at http://www.twillingate.com

Video: Mark Wahlberg speaks about Faith And Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:52:00 +0000

Mark Wahlberg is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He ended up in jail at seventeen years of age. He is now a committed Catholic and visits the church every day. He attends Mass regularly and credits a Catholic priest with his transformation. He is married with four children.
(Video:Via Hell Burns)

Video: Marian Apparitions in Beauraing and Banneux, Belgium

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:52:00 +0000

Taken from the amazing video "Marian Apparitions of the 20th Century". A Message of Urgency.

The Rosary: Visit Come Pray the Rosary Website

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:12:00 +0000

Just discovered Come Pray the Rosary website. This allows Catholics worldwide to join together to say the Rosary or to pray the Rosary individually.It is lead by Father Dave Heney. He is pastor of St Paschal Babylon Catholic Church 155 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. It is a superb website which is really conducive to prayer.It greatly facilitates the recitation of the Rosary.It may be accessed HERE

Ireland: Olivia O'Leary's departure from the Catholic Church an error of judgement

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:44:00 +0000

Irish Central reports:

Irish journalist Olivia O’Leary, one of the best-known names in the media, has made a very public departure from the Catholic Church. She cited her disappointment in the fact that women cannot be ordained as priests, coupled with the disgrace that “the institutional cover-up of clerical child sex abuse was a ‘proximate factor...’”,

Olivia O'Leary has made a serious error of judgement. The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ and is the only Church with the full body of truth. It is the only Church in which the Apostolic succession is found. Pope Benedict is the direct successor of St Peter. Jesus Christ did not select females as Apostles. Olivia O'Leary's decision to leave the Church -on the women priests issue- is a gross over reaction. Of course the shocking sex abuse scandals have disgusted the faithful. However these scandals do not alter the doctrinal orthodoxy of the Catholic Church. Hence her decision is tantamount to cutting off her nose to spite her face.It is illogical.

Newt Gingrich attacks anti Christian bigotry at ABC/WMUR debate in New Hampshire

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:01:00 +0000

"Since weve spent this much time on these issues, I just want to raise a point about the news media bias,” . “You don’t hear the opposite question asked.”

“Should the Catholic church be forced to close its adoption services in Massachusetts because it won’t accept gay couples, which is exactly what the state has done? Should the Catholic church be driven out of providing charitable services in the District of Columbia because it won’t give in to secular bigotry? Should the Catholic church find itself discriminated against by the Obama administration on key delivery of services because of the bias and the bigotry of the administration?” .
"The bigotry question goes both ways and there’s a lot more anti-Christian bigotry today than there is concerning the other side, and none of it gets covered by the news media,” .

Video: Medjugorje Interview with Mirjana on September 21, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:55:00 +0000

On September 21, 2011 Mirjana spoke at her home in Medjugorje to a group of Argentinian pilgrims.

Medjugorje Apparition to Mirjana on January 2, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:52:00 +0000

,
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Video: Daughters of St. Paul the Media and Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:19:00 +0000

Introduction to the life and mission of the Daughters of St. Paul, religious sisters evangelizing the world with the media of communications. Today 2,400 Daughters of St. Paul serve the Church in over fifty countries

Medjugorje: Beautiful Video Made By Wish TV 8 Anchor Eric Halvorson

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:08:00 +0000

In October, 24-Hour News 8 anchor Eric Halvorson traveled to Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The group Halvorson traveled with included about 80 people from the U.S., Canada and Australia, and they were among hundreds on the mountain for Mirjana's vision on that day. This is his beautiful report.

Crib at St James Church Medjugorje Christmas 2011

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 00:29:00 +0000

O Holy Night- Paul Harrington Live at Whitefriars Church Dublin

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:34:00 +0000

This is a very special live rendition of O Holy Night by Paul Harrington. It was made at a carol service at Whitefriars Church in Dublin on Christmas Eve 2010. This was in aid of Dublin's inner city homeless. Paul will participate once more on Christmas Eve 2011 at Whitefriars Church Dublin.

Amazing Testimony of Model Ania Golędzinowska at Medjugorje -December 2, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:28:00 +0000

During the pilgrimage to Medjugorje on the occasion of the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Mirjana on December 2, 2011, I had the opportunity to hear the testimony of Ania Goledzinowska
"I reached a point where I thought it over, it was all too easy to go to that fourth floor where I was," said Ania.

"I had everything, money, clothes, cars, just ask and I would get, but really what I needed no one was able to give it to me, that is Love." "One night - continues Ania - I had recovered and was placed in a room in a very dilapidated condition. I noticed at my bedside the figure of a man not very tall , with a beard. He several times shook his head without saying a word. It was as if to say: Ania, Ania, but what are you doing!

At the time I did not recognise him but now I can say that the person I was close to at that time was Padre Pio! And 'he gave me the initial impetus for change.. But now that I see in the photographs I recognize him well. "

Another interesting aspect of the testimony of this girl was when she was told to have three attitudes: forgive, not judge and love.
Ania decided to forgive all those who had caused [her] evil. She invited those present to make gestures of forgiveness, not to judge and to love.

[On June 25, 2011, the 30th anniversary of the apparitions in Medjugorje, the Association of the PURE HEART, was established by Father Renzo Gobbi in Medjugorje. The first person to adhere to the guiding principles was Ania Goledzinowska , who has also assumed the responsibility to personally take care of the organization.]
She then spoke about the Association for Pure Hearts and pointed out that, on the occasion of the apparition of December 2, she had asked for confirmation in her heart from Our Lady regarding this initiative, because lots of rings had been placed in a container at the Blue Cross , to be blessed. Well, just recently in the message Our Lady has referred to the pure heart when She said: "My children, only a pure heart, not weighed down by sin, can open up ..."
Ania has successfully interpreted this phrase as an encouragement to continue this work, which specifically aims to promote premarital chastity in young people.

This is a witness that warms my heart to Ania, whose beaming face reveals the true beauty of a life full of a blossomed love of God. A life that before was wandering in the darkness but after having drawn from the vessel of mercy (Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska accompanies this stage of her life) is now full of light and hope.

God works wonders in the heart of His creatures, and this story is proof. In her valuable testimony she has also focused on the value of suffering.
To those who say that God does not exist because a good God would never allow women to give birth to children with disabilities or other conditions, Ania replied that: "Children with disabilities have the pass to Paradise. These people disadvantaged in body and mind have already paid the ticket to blissful eternity. They are given to us in families because through them parents can also gain the right to Paradise. All suffering is important and precious in God's eyes. We are sanctified through the pain! Suffering is not a punishment but a gift that God gives to help us win the salvation of our souls! " Strong words.

"And God - continued Ania - continually speaks to us, gives us so many signs of His presence. Years later, reviewing the album of my childhood and adolescence, I realized even then God spoke to me, but I could not see the signs of His presence. In fact, among the many things that have remained from that period, I also found the Saint of Divine Mercy (St. Faustina Kowalska ) that a relative had given me. Even then, Jesus was near me, but I, I did not see! "
(I have translated this from DALLA CARNIA A A MEDJUGORJE)

The Catholic Church:Eleven things I love about it-by Father Mark Mary

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:46:00 +0000

What I love about the Catholic Church by Father Mark Mary

I heard the other day a couple of people ridiculing catholicism in the media, both of them, I believe, are fallen away Catholics. As a husband praises and cherishes his wife, we Catholics need to honor the Church. Off the top of my head, I rattled off eleven things I love about the Church. I know “eleven” is not a nice number for a list, but it is what came to mind for me. Everything on this list does not belong exclusively to the Catholic Church, for there are elements of sanctification which exist outside of her visible structure. But in the Church we have the fullness of the means of sanctification............

Now read the eleven HERE
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Video:Banneux, Belgium Marian Apparitions of 1933

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:05:00 +0000

Banneux is a small town, southeast of Liège in Belgium. It is known because of the reported Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Banneux, also known as Our Lady of the Poor to a young girl called Mariette Beco.

Video: Apparition to Mirjana on December 2, 2011 at the Blue Cross, Medjugorje

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:23:00 +0000

Bank Of Ireland raises more funds -No need for Noonan to wipe out junior bondholders (December 2011)

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:28:00 +0000

Bank of Ireland needed more funds for recapitalisation. If the bank had failed in this task the government would have been forced to pump in more money. As a quid pro quo it would have taken a bigger stake in the bank and imposed haircuts on junior bondholders. Michael Noonan had flagged this on November 23: In fact BOI managed to raise the money by buying back the outstanding junior bonds at a discount so the government did not have to put more money into the bank. So why would Noonan burn the bondholders IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE. Yet he is being unfairly lambasted in relation to this issue. The Irish government has already raised about 15 billion euros by imposing losses on subordinated bank bondholders
I hold no brief for bondholders. It sticks in my throat but remember that the ECB has us over the barrel of a gun thanks to the bank guarantee. Whether it should have been given by the late Brian Lenihan is neither here nor there now. The fact of the matter is that it was given. I am well aware of the differences between senior and junior bondholders. The ECB is keeping our banks afloat with 130 billion euro. It has made clear what the consequences are for us if we fail to pay senior bondholders.

Thanks to the bank guarantee money owed to senior bondholders is now part of our sovereign debt. Default on payments to senior bondholders is thus seen as default on the national debt and would thus make it impossible for us to return to the bondmarkets for many years.

Incidentally it appears that UK pensioners owned some of these subordinated bonds.. As far as I am aware they are from Yorkshire. I am glad that these people were not wiped out as they would have been left in destitution. As an Irishman I rest easier that they were not wiped out.

Ireland:Taoiseach Enda Kenny – Address to the nation on Sunday 4th December 2011

noreply@blogger.com (John Barry) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:19:00 +0000

Good evening.

Tonight I’m taking the opportunity to speak to you directly on the challenge we face as a community, as an economy, and as a country.
I know this is an exceptional event.
But we live in exceptional times.
And we face an exceptional challenge.

It is important that you know the truth of the scale of that challenge –
and how we are addressing it.
That challenge:-
To restore our economy.
To create the environment to sustain jobs, and to look after the most vulnerable people in our society.
At the end of last year, our economy was in deep crisis.
And while steps to recover from the crisis have been taken…
We remain in crisis today.
I would love to tell you tonight that our economic problems are solved, that the worst is over.
But, for far too many of you, that is simply not the truth.

If you’re unemployed, you’re one of the many who still can’t find work.
If you’re in business… you may still not be able get the credit you need, or to get paid on time.
If you’re a parent who has just put the children to bed… you may be wondering how you’re going to meet that mortgage, or pay those bills.

Or you may be looking at your adult children. Wondering how you’ll say goodbye to some of them as they leave Ireland in search of new opportunity in the New Year.
Tonight, that may be the truth as you live it, and know it.
Let me say this to you all:
You are not responsible for the crisis.

My Government is determined that now; the necessary decisions and changes are made to ensure that this is never allowed to happen again.
Right now, our most important responsibility is to do what must be done to get our economy back on its feet.
That requires fixing the enormous deficit in our public finances caused by too much borrowing and the cost of rescuing the banks.
We all know that if, in our own lives, we are spending more than we are earning – we have a problem.
Right now, the State is spending €16 billion a year more than it is taking in.
This problem will not be fixed unless we take action to bridge this gap.
This can only be done by us, ourselves. Working together.
That means that in this Budget we must cut public spending by €2.2 billion and raise €1.6 billion in extra taxes.

When we were elected, the Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore and I, pledged that our Government of Fine Gael and the Labour Party, would fix this deficit in a way that would get Ireland working. We began by taking urgent steps to stem the crisis and close that gap in our public finances.
We are shutting down dysfunctional banks and we have recapitalised the remaining ones at a lower cost than expected, by imposing losses on some bondholders.

We implemented a jobs initiative that cut taxes on tourism and employment, and that created over 20,000 new job and training placements.
We secured a lower rate of interest on the country’s borrowings that will save us €10 billion over time.
We have met our commitments to the EU and IMF in full, and on time.
This has been acknowledged worldwide, and has helped restore some international confidence in Ireland.
But the steps the Government has taken merely reflect your courage, your character, and your sense of responsibility, for which I

thank you.

While none of this has ended the crisis, and we have not so far been in a position to do everything we promised, we have made a start.
We have begun to stabilise our finances.
The improved confidence has helped strengthen exports – a key driver of future success. But we have a long way to go.
This week, we will introduce a budget that will build on those first steps towards recovery.
This budget will be tough – it has to be.
It will move us towards a manageable deficit of 3% of our GDP by 2015.

But getting the deficit under control is just a means to an end.
The main purpose of this budget, and of our four year strategy, is the creation of jobs for our people.
Jobs are central to this budget because work plays such a central role in our lives.
Work provides focus. Work gives us independence. Work gives our families hope.

I get to meet lots of people in this job – a woman in Limerick whose husband had found work after being on the live register for months told me, “he did not just get back his job; he got back his dignity; once more he felt he was making a contribution.”
We won’t be able to create jobs overnight.
It will take time.
But, by 2015, I want to see our deficit under control and real growth in jobs.

We are not able to do all we would like to in this budget because we simply can’t afford to.
We have had to postpone some really good projects – like Metro North, for example.
But this budget will be a jobs budget in two ways:
Firstly, by putting our public finances back onto a sound footing.
As our deficit moves to sustainable levels, investors will start regaining their confidence in Ireland and credit will be made available at better rates.
This means businesses will be able to start borrowing, expanding, and hiring again.

Secondly, the budget will include a series of targeted measures specifically designed to create jobs and get people back to work.
It will include, among other initiatives, a new system of loan guarantees will enable banks to resume lending and a new micro finance scheme which will help people to start their own businesses.
This will allow small firms to take on one or even two employees:-
New jobs to create new incomes, to assist the economy on the path to growth and confidence.
To make sure we keep as many jobs as we can, to make sure you get to bring home as much as you can, and to make sure you know where you stand with your wages.

To give you some certainty for the year ahead, we’re leaving income tax untouched.
Instead, we will raise the 1.6 billion of extra taxes that Ireland needs mainly through indirect taxes, difficult though these will be.
The highest priority is to create more jobs, but we will also do all we can to protect the most vulnerable in our communities – our children,
the sick, and the elderly.

I wish I could tell you that the budget won’t impact on every citizen in need, but I can’t.
Difficult choices are never easy, but we will invest in crucial projects like the National Children’s Hospital, school buildings and health centres.

Before asking families to make sacrifices, we also insisted on sacrifices from those at the top:
We cut the pay and removed state cars and Garda drivers for Ministers.
In the last few weeks I have informed former Taoisigh that entitlements, like free mobile phones and staff allowances are being withdrawn.
The pay and pensions of senior public servants have been cut.
This week’s budget will go further.
50 quangos will be abolished or merged, and the public sector will be downsized by 23,000 people by 2015.
Next year, we will hold a referendum to abolish the Seanad.

But these steps are just a start.
We will reform how we run the country so that we never return to the practices that drove our economy into freefall – reckless spending, weak oversight of banks and reliance on a property boom for tax revenues.
However – In Ireland, an island nation – we cannot operate in isolation. We are part of the European Union.

All the changes we undertake ourselves are set against the backdrop of continuing uncertainty about the future of the European single currency.
Let me be clear – Ireland supports stronger economic governance throughout Europe, and particularly in the Eurozone.
In fact, the Irish people are paying the price now for the absence of such rules in the past.

European leaders must make and – more importantly this time must implement – clear decisions this week to prove our shared determination to protect our currency.
Otherwise, international confidence and investment in Europe will continue to fall.
In the ongoing negotiations in Europe, I will work to achieve a positive outcome for Ireland – one that ensures and protects our economic security.

Firm action will help to restore confidence throughout Europe, and here in Ireland.
In outlining the Government’s strategy with you tonight, I do not for a moment want to make it sound simplistic or painless. It is not.
We are on a four year path to recovery. This, our first Budget, is a necessary step, but it will include cuts to many worthwhile projects.

It will also raise some indirect taxes which will be hard for many people.
The truth is, our economy remains fragile, and it will take us several years to recover fully.
While the creation of jobs will be at the centre of our plan, I am painfully aware this will not happen quickly enough for many who are out of work today. It will take several years to create the numbers of new jobs we need.

But over the last months we have made a start.
Towards more jobs.
Towards more opportunities.
Towards renewed confidence.

A start towards a country where our young people can stay at home to build their future here, rather than moving away.
A start in essence toward getting Ireland working again.
That’s the commitment the Tánaiste and I made to you when you elected us.
And that is the commitment we are working to deliver each and every day.
We have begun taking hold of these problems and deal with them head on.
I am very optimistic for the future.

I want to be the Taoiseach who retrieves Ireland’s economic sovereignty, and who leads a Government that will help our country succeed.
I want to make this the best small country in the world in which to do business, in which to raise a family and in which to grow old with dignity and respect.
All around Ireland, I meet people who want to play their part in achieving those goals.

I meet young people, students and business people who are full of ideas, energy and optimism. I want to enable them, and many others,
to achieve their full potential.
I believe Government, being honest and open, working with the people, will meet and beat the challenges we face.
Next Tuesday December 6th is the 90th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty in 1921.
Just as our fledgling state made its way to becoming a Republic then –

I believe with all my heart, that we the Irish people can now make our way to recovery, to prosperity and to the fulfilment of the dreams of our children and the founding fathers of our nation .