Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I know and I accept that, but I used always to reckon that €1 million out of a budget of €24 billion is the equivalent of saving €1 per annum on a yearly salary of €24,000. It is only when this is put into those contexts that you see how trivial it is. I used always to make the case, when we were trying to save money because times were hard, that saving €1 million was the equivalent of the kid during a family crisis, with the parents sitting around the table explaining that their income had gone down, they had lost their jobs, etc., saying, "I will give €1 pocket money for a year - that is my contribution." The parents would be grateful but would say that it would not really change the sums. The €1 million, even the €1.6 million to which the Minister referred, will not really cost anything. It is one of these sums that is just a little on the mean side. I am not blaming the Minister; I think this has not been thought out right.