Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

A standing ovation that lasted for seven minutes. I wondered what all the cheering was about because there was nothing in the budget about which to cheer. There was nothing in it that was reassuring and nothing for elderly people who were about to have their medical cards withdrawn. There was nothing to cheer about so I do not know why the people across the House were cheering. There was nothing for the younger people because a levy was imposed across the board, right down to those on a basic minimum wage. What prompted the backbenchers to react in that hysterical fashion in the course of the budget debate?

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