Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)

I had better bring it to a conclusion. Obviously poverty is such an important topic that every Member of the Opposition would wish to reply for 20 minutes. The Minister is aware of that.

It is time to modernise the social welfare system to take cognisance of the reality of life in 2005. It is 53 years since the system was brought into being and it is time to modernise it.

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