John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Bill. We would agree that the Minister for Finance had an almost impossible task to get all the checks and balances right in this budget while achieving a sense of fairness and equality. I do not want to get into a slanging match with the Opposition for what has happened in the past and I have asked the Minister to adjust some issues. I will campaign to achieve further tweaks in this budget.

I have listened to this debate since it started this evening, both in the Chamber and in my office, and I listened intently to Members from the Opposition. Apart from the slanging that went on, I was looking for a magic bullet that could somehow be produced to increase social welfare allowances to all sectors in a manner we could all support. I have not heard one as of yet. I add my thanks and commendation to the Minister for the actions taken when parts of the budget were wrong. For example, the disability provisions were wrong and it takes a very good character to change one's mind and realise that a mistake was made. That is more than was done when the disability allowances, blind pensions, etc. were cut last year.

See this speech in context