Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

Everybody in the country must surely know that somebody somewhere should have taken action on that side of the House. Some of us were trying to do it on this side of the House. We pointed out all the things that were happening and that should not have happened, but we only had access to limited information. We took the information that we received and we acted upon it. A crazy situation has developed. We now have a Finance Bill that hits everybody indiscriminately and that will create further economic problems for this country down the road.

Before the Ceann Comhairle took the Chair, Deputy Johnny Brady was the Acting Chairman. Before the last general election, he used to express grave concern about the prospect of the Green Party in government with Fine Gael. Imagine his chagrin when it transpired that the Green Party went into government with Fianna Fáil? His worst fears were realised when it was announced in the budget that bicycles were to be issued to the population, and that a special grant was to be given to employers to issue such bicycles. The good news came afterwards. It has now been generally agreed that saddles will be put on the bicycles as well.

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