Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)

Comhghairdeas, a Cheann Comhairle. I wish you well in your term in office. As the outcome of this motion is clear, I offer Deputy Kenny, Deputy Gilmore and their team every success in tackling the enormous social and economic issues facing the country. Although, as an Independent, I will abstain on the motion, on reading the programme for government I broadly agree with many of the proposals and initiatives contained in the document. Such measures should have been implemented in recent years.

We need ethical and compassionate leadership. In that regard I seek the Government's support in reversing some of the penal cuts in the previous budget. I refer, for example to cuts to the blind, the disabled, widows and carers, the proposed elimination of payments to fourth year student nurses, the imposition of a universal social charge at low levels of income, the increase in annual third level student registration fees to €2,000 and the abolition of tax relief for union subscriptions. In that regard the importance of association, in terms of representing various sections of society, cannot be underestimated. The point was driven home to me as recently as last night when I received an alarming telephone call from a constituent, an employee of the Aetna company in Castleisland, County Kerry to let me know that the workforce of 116 had been informed yesterday that the company was entering into a 30-day consultation process-----

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