Mr. Joe O'Connor:

On the Deputy's first point, he and I both agree that there is a role for the State to recognise in this way the important role that trade unions play. While the Deputy and I might agree on that, I would hope in the same way that Mr. King stated, that all Deputies would agree that fair tax treatment for trade unions vis-à-visother bodies is absolutely essential.

On his second point on political support, we have not formally requested political parties to include this in their pre-budget submissions and their draft manifestos for a general election whenever that might come about, but we will certainly do that. In our individual representations to political parties, we have received support from Deputies in Fianna Fáil, Solidarity - People Before Profit, Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats, the Labour Party and many other individual Independent Deputies whom our campaign's representatives have met throughout the country. We will continue that engagement in coming months. As Mr. Cody has said, we feel this should be addressed in the upcoming budget and we call on members of the committee to bring it back to their own parties and to advocate that it be supported.