Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)

I am reminded of the lines Mercutio spoke in "Romeo and Juliet" when he was caught between the feuding families, when he said:

A plague o' both your houses! They have made worms' meat of me.

That is the feeling of many people in this country. Our political, banking, economic and financial institutions have made mincemeat of people. The problems facing the country are massive and it would be very foolish to minimise them. Irish people are the most generous and caring in the world and would totally embrace a recovery plan for our country if it was fair, just and if the sacrifices and pain were proportionate. It is unclear from the plan that they were proportionate.

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