Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to make a brief contribution to this debate. I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Martin Mansergh, for giving me these few minutes. I welcome Deputy Ciarán Lynch's initiative and congratulate him on it because, as Bill Clinton might remind us, "It's the economy, stupid". That came home to many of us who went across the road to Buswell's Hotel today for the launch of the St. Vincent de Paul pre-budget submission for budget 2010, Don't Push Them Over the Edge. I suspect we will take the opportunity in other debates to raise many of the issues mentioned in that document.

I am a member of Fianna Fáil and believe strongly that my party must continue to represent the needs and vulnerability of those who need assistance. I am not of the view that social welfare cuts are inevitable. I do not wish to draw attention to IBEC but I was disappointed by it recently. As the employers' group, representing those employers who have had to make workers redundant, it should find another way of dealing with the issue without saying that-----

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