Ray Butler (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A rise of one quarter of a per cent is envisaged if we can all come together and push on. We can go down the road of describing all the ills visited upon self-employed people. I have been self-employed all my life and I never want any other person to go through what I endured when I lost my business. I did not have a penny for 14 or 15 months. I did not even have enough money to feed my children. There were nights when I sat in a dark room wondering from where I was going to get the money to put food on the table not to mention to pay the mortgage. That is why I am here. I am passionate about this matter and I want us to do something.