Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

Yes. When the budget was debated, we highlighted to the Minister for Finance that his proposal was crazy. The Minister rushed to increase the VAT rate by 0.5% and did not take any advice from those Members who informed him that it was not the wisest action to take. Among the Members to whom I refer was Deputy Morgan, who told the Minister at the time that shoppers — I do not know whether they were male or female — were fighting over trolleys in the car park of Sainsbury's in Newry. Anybody who has visited that store will know that one would not fight to get into or out of its car park.

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