Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)

I welcome Deputy Howlin's recently found interest in the North of Ireland and its budgetary circumstances. If he examined what has happened just up the road, he would discover that despite a cut to the block grant, the Executive has worked to ring-fence services and to create new income streams for the most socially disadvantaged.

The Minister says he will not pretend. The great pretence is that everyone is taking the pain together and that the Government will defend the rights of citizens. The greatest pretence is that this Government represents different policies from those pursued by the previous Fianna Fáil Administration. That is the reality.

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