Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

As the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, said a few moments ago, who would have believed a few years ago that a family with three children under six years of age would be getting a payment from the State of nearly €8,500? That is an incredible commitment by Fianna Fáil in Government to the people. This Government, with the policies and philosophies which have underpinned it for more than ten years, and in reality back to 1997, has created balance and fairness, redistributing wealth and ensuring that everyone had an opportunity to fulfil their dreams, to work, to get their children into second and third level education and to access right across the spectrum.

Once and for all we ended the curse of lost generations. We were at a stage where some 40,000 young people were emigrating in years past. Now we have reached the stage of immigration into Ireland. People of the world want to be in Ireland. People in Europe want to be here, to work here, to live here and participate in Irish society. We are becoming a much more dynamic, cosmopolitan society but one founded on what true democratic republicanism is about. That is what underpins and characterises this country today.

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