John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I am not saying that, but it is very much influenced by him.

Correctly benchmarked, it would mean that every multiple would be losing millions, something I very much doubt. However, regarding competition in the trade, several years ago there was complete deception and the Minister was totally negligent in his dealings with the Competition Authority, which had no staff, back-up or support to deal with real competition, which the Government has let run absolutely riot. There is no competition in any sector of the economy. The Government believes the masses are influenced by the spin put on the Restrictive Practices (Groceries) Order 1987, but time will tell.

The Government has totally mismanaged such matters as registration fees for students, which have multiplied in recent years. They have risen by over 19% since the Government was elected in 2002. We can only imagine the injustice the Government has imposed on Irish students on a very tight budget. One must remember that the euro is now a valueless currency, buying considerably less than it did a few years ago. In the year the Government was elected, we saw a massive number of stealth taxes. Every week, the Comptroller and Auditor General uncovers a scandal regarding the mismanagement of taxpayers' money. It is very hard to reject that, since it comes from Mr. John Purcell, the Comptroller and Auditor General. It is taxpayers' money.

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