Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

When I sat in this seat on Wednesday morning I caught the eye of four young people in the Visitor's Gallery who happened to be speaking through sign language. My uncle taught me sign language so I was able to engage with them. When I went up to see them the one question they asked me was whether the Minister for Finance would take money from them. I said that I did not think he would. I apologise to those people, and I will call out to see them in Cabra, because I was wrong.

When I came into this House five years ago I noticed the sculptures around the Chamber of the men who in 1916 declared a republic, and died for it. Part of that declaration states:

The Irish Republic is entitled to, and hereby claims, the allegiance of every Irishman and Irishwoman. The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all the children of the nation equally, and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past.

In the past six months we have broken that guarantee twice. The Minister for Finance has already accepted that NAMA will not work. This evening the Government will alienate the young people who stood in that gallery and those who are blind.

It took us all 48 hours to realise what was going to happen to us. I had to examine my income to see what I could cut but I can manage it. I do not care what I have to do. I could cut out another €1,000 and it would not worry me. Those people have very little. I ask Deputy Gogarty not to fly off the handle. I am capable of doing the same. He is a champion of schools. He knows how they will be hit. The people with disabilities are always left to last. Deputy Gogarty said last night that he did not like doing it but he was going to do it. The Ministers have betrayed the men and women who died in 1916. The backbenchers have a chance to stand up to this. Deputy Gogarty has an opportunity to do so as well. The Government cannot take money from people who are not in a position to help themselves. It cannot take money from the blind or from a girl called Eileen Carolan in my parish. It cannot take it from the people in St. Joseph's School for Deaf Boys. If power means so much to Deputy Healy-Rae so be it. I was elected to represent everyone in Ireland, North and South, Catholic and Protestant. Let Deputy Healy-Rae give up the hospital on which he made a deal, as have all the other Independent Deputies but do not take money from these people whom we are supposed to cherish.

I have said before that the Minister is doing a good job at getting back money that has been taken out of the social welfare budget but this money should not be taken. Anyone who walks up those stairs, as we do every day, should look into the eyes of the men represented by the sculptures, and ask whether he or she is doing the right thing. That is what I ask them. Whoever goes to the left is betraying the people who fought for this country so that everyone would be treated equally. I challenge every Deputy who says he or she is Irish not to accept this. I ask the Minister to reverse that simple decision to take money from the blind and the disabled. It is a simple matter but it is the one that will bring her down. I ask every Deputy if he is man enough or woman enough to stand up for young people who do not have the advantages we have. I ask that of the Deputies from my county too.

We never took a penny from the rich. I know they are the people who create the employment but they were prepared to give it. Every time a Deputy walks up those stairs he or she should look those images in the eye and ask that question and anyone who cannot do that should not be here. For once in their lives they should stand up. The front bench of the Green Party threw the party away when the NAMA Bill came before us. Now it will do the same again. I ask Deputy Gogarty to stand up to it. He knows right from wrong.

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