Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

Having listened to the contributions of the two Ministers, Deputies Dempsey and Cowen, they have shown blithe disregard for the unfortunate taxpayers, the majority of whom are hardworking and must engage in micro-management because they do not have sufficient money to run their households. Yet the Minister, Deputy Dempsey, blithely tells us that these millions of euro overspent on programmes and of under-collected tax are matters about which we should not worry. He has told us that we have a wonderful Government and governance and that these large sums of money do not matter.

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