Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

Listening to this debate both yesterday and this evening, it is very obvious there is an awakening sense of fairness again, a good sign. For some time our society was operating in a fog which led to disaster and catastrophe. The people we would expect to be leaders in society, not just politicians but professionals, actually helped create that fog. It is surprising the talented and skilled in the professions do not seem to have made any serious contribution, except for their clients, to the public debate towards getting back to a sense of fairness in the contributions that must be made for the services provided by the State to its people. It is also breathtaking that a group of 17 people recently had the nerve to suggest in their blueprint for Ireland's recovery that they would be able to throw light on a better way of running this country and highlight a path to recovery.

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