Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)

I would not describe the Minister as a champion because that would be a very big title for him but I thought he had a social conscience for people who are on low incomes or depend on the State for existence. He may have been hoodwinked by the finance people and the many right-wing boys and girls in Fianna Fáil or perhaps he simply did not notice this measure. However, nobody can claim to support the measures contained in this Bill unknowingly because Deputies on this side of the House have convincingly described what is going on. The Minister will see the sharp end of this Bill when he visits his constituents. Many of the people who make representations to my constituency office are in dire straits and if it was not for front line charities like the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which does outstanding work in Dundalk, I do not know what they would do. These charities cannot help everybody, however. It is ironic that the Government has reduced this State to the point where decent people must depend on charity handouts just to survive. When the Deputies opposite stand up to vote for these measures, they should be sure they know what they are doing.

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