Joe Behan (Wicklow, Independent)

I join with the Acting Chairman and all the Members of the House in welcoming and congratulating Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan and Deputy George Lee and I wish them both every success in their careers here in Dáil Éireann.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to respond to the Government's motion of confidence in itself which will be decided by this House at 5.30 p.m. This Government is dealing with unprecedented financial difficulties, some of which it has caused itself and some of which are outside its control. There is no doubt that any Government facing these difficulties would have to take unpopular measures and the people are aware that this is so. However, there is an obligation on any Government contemplating such measures, to ensure that they are just and equitable. Measures such as: increasing class sizes; cutting school book grants to disadvantaged pupils; suppression of special needs classes; taxing or means testing of child benefit; ending universal entitlement to medical cards for people over 70; cancellation of the Christmas bonus for social welfare recipients; and penalising low-paid public servants with pension levies while allowing well paid members of the Judiciary to opt in or out of this levy on a strictly confidential basis, are all examples of fundamentally unjust and inequitable decisions made and being implemented by this Government. I, for one, cannot and will not support them. Accordingly, I will be opposing the Government motion.

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