Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

No, that is for one element of the support services we need in the country at the present time. I did not interrupt the Deputy when she was speaking, even though I am not slow to interrupt when necessary.

We have to consider the overall nature of this, not one element of society at a time. Nobody is doing that. We need to recognise that we have overall responsibility. The Government and the Opposition have responsibility as well. I hope we can stick to it and avoid going down culs-de-sac and saying afterwards that we thought that was the way.

I will make a final comment. I realise that forward planning is necessary, as I believe the witnesses do, in order to identify the extent of the problem and the degree to which we propose to resolve it. It can be very easy for all of us to abdicate our responsibilities and say that someone else should do it or the Government or the private sector should do it. It will cost money, whether it is done by the public sector or the private sector. Nobody is willing to work for nothing. While many people give voluntary contributions for a long number of years without complaint, we should not have to depend upon that forever.