James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

That is what I encourage any elderly person who comes into my constituency office to do. The Government has squandered the taxpayers' money. Shame on the Minister for Finance and the 84 Deputies who backed him on the day.

It is interesting to note that several days before the budget, the Minister for Finance and officials from the Department of Health and Children were warned by senior officials in the Department of Finance in a memo released under a freedom of information request. It stated the Department of Health and Children appeared to have not considered the risks to be of sufficient concern. While the Minister for Health and Children may be prepared to accept the risks, the Minister for Finance may have been too inexperienced to recognise them. The Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, admitted yesterday evening that the Minister for Finance is inexperienced.

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