Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

Boston versus Berlin was another debate but Hong Kong is a better example. There are huge numbers of people tolling away on extremely low wages in Hong Kong; Dubai is another example. There are then people at the upper echelons, including ex-patriots, who live very well. Hong Kong and other societies like that may do very well in international financial terms but many of the populations in those countries do not, and the countries which have better outcomes are countries like the Scandinavian countries where there is a decent level of public services, health and education and where the difference between wealth and people on lower levels of income is not as extreme as it is in many developing countries. That is a reality and there is proof of that.

The intention behind this Bill, and from the Minister of State's talk about the golden era of public service-----

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