Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)

The Minister is hitting a growing group. People who are currently on jobseeker's benefit will be going on to jobseeker's allowance by Christmas. People who will have been drawing on their PRSI benefits will be going on to long-term unemployment. Consider it in the overall context of what we are putting into the banks. We already have put €7 billion into the two main banks and we are looking at a potential further €1.5 billion. We are looking at coming up with funding in all of these areas.

This is another defining moment. Who are we elected to represent? We are elected to ensure the economy works well and to look after the most vulnerable. In one fell swoop the Minister has defined what this Government is about. It is about the quick fix. They are so long in Government and so far removed from what is happening on the ground that they do not understand the impact, or if they do, it is extremely callous in terms of the effect on ordinary people in their daily lives.

In the budget debate I said to the Taoiseach that the Government will have to reverse this decision. I wait to see how the Government's backbenchers will vote on this tomorrow. They will probably be fully aware of the impact of this on the lives of ordinary people, on the lone parent who is trying to buy toys for her children at Christmas and on the elderly person living in a damp drab apartment in terms of heating bills. I hope this will be reversed and I expect it will have to be.

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