Ray Butler (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I see where Deputy Ó Snodaigh is coming from. I agree to disagree with him but I hope we will get rid of the troika in 2013. A great deal of pain has been put on the public but in Spain, which is experiencing significant difficulties, one only gets social welfare for two years. After that a person is cut off completely, there is no social welfare. Some 1.5 million people in Spain have no welfare payment from the state. In Croatia one gets a social welfare payment for six months if one is lucky. I think this should be pushed on and implemented as soon as possible. Those in need in Spain are relying on-ex pats, British people who have opened soup kitchens to feed the people. It is a good incentive. The figure is €2.5 billion and I think we should look at the bigger picture. I know that Ireland is suffering but other countries are suffering as much. We are lucky in certain cases to have a social welfare system in place because many countries would like to have our system but cannot afford it. The situation in Spain is very serious. They thought they could fill the vacuum by stimulating growth and they put €22 billion into the economy which has gone into a black hole. Spain might need a bailout but they are introducing austerity measures in Spain because they have no option. They are starting to do what we have been doing for the past three years. They have seen what Ireland has done and are starting to do something similar but unfortunately they are three years behind us.

This was the subject of a recent BBC 2 documentary. I would like the Opposition to look at what is happening in the rest of Europe.