Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I will not even respond to that.

On the pensions issue, I will have regard to all of the points made by Senator O'Brien.

Senator Sheahan spoke of the Croke Park agreement and the pace of it. To underscore the requirements for a faster pace, I intend meeting the implementation body this afternoon with the Taoiseach. That is why I cannot be with the Seanad for the full Committee Stage debate. I asked the Taoiseach to do that to underscore the centrality of the Croke Park process in Government policy.

I do not quite share Senator Sheahan's view on centralised services. We must have more centralised services. We cannot duplicate everything all over the country. There must be a consequence for rational decisions,-----