Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

-----and it behoves all of us to reclaim it, not just to get it back but to give a generation of people, be they supporters of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Labour Party, Sinn Féin or whoever, the opportunity to have an Ireland that is free where they can work and do not have to go cap in hand to Europe to get money, and where we can have a society, be it socialist or capitalist, where work, labour activation and growth in the economy takes place.

This is what it is about and let us be real about it. A total of €20.5 billion is spent by the Department of Social Protection, which is 40% of current Government expenditure. The Bill proposes an adjustment in social protection spending of €475 million which is 2.2% of departmental expenditure. Yes, it will have an impact on people but what should we do, bury our heads in our hands like some Sinn Féin Deputies want to do and have mockeyah and voodoo economics which do not add up? The days of voodoo economics are gone. We need facts.

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