Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

The Taoiseach got to make a longer speech. He said the Government was helping the unemployed, which I am glad to hear. I would hate to see what the Government might do to them if it was hindering the unemployed because it is attacking them. It has become fashionable to point to the unemployed as the cause of the problem and claim there is social welfare fraud. On a daily basis the Government claims one group or another should not be getting whatever it is they have and the Government has set about taking it off them, which is an appalling state.

There is a grave danger that this society might turn on itself. We are on a knife edge and it is a serious situation. As the people groan under the burden that has been unleashed on them, they will tend to become cynical. While I hope that does not happen, all the signs I see are the signs of social upheaval which if visited upon this society will make matters even worse than they are at present. At this stage I would have thought that the Government would have stood up, taken responsibility and said: "Listen, we can't do this." During the good times it gave huge increases in social welfare, which was great, but now it wants to take them all back in the bad times. It is like taking away the umbrella when the thunder shower appears. A strange and extraordinary situation is now developing. I hope our society can withstand the weight and savagery of the burden placed upon it.

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