Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

This relates to section 6(4) — what can be recouped, and how it will be recouped, for the taxpayer. I am addressing the amendment under discussion.

As colleagues have stated, what about the other big day the Minister will have in a few weeks time, when we face one of the biggest budget deficits in our history and when this country will have to borrow? The Minister has seriously affected our credit rating by this global measure that he has taken and we will have to pay through the nose to try to maintain basic State spending on services for which we in this House have responsibility. The Minister has acted grossly irresponsibly.

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