Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)

The Tánaiste stated the Government's efforts have focused on rebuilding the State's reputation. What kind of a reputation can a state have when almost half a million of its people are languishing on the unemployment lines? These are not statistics but people and families, yet less than a week before a budget that will be very hard on people we have a senior Government Minister being flippant in his commentary.

The Government took €1 per day off Mr. Ray Burke in its much heralded-----

See this speech in context