Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We all recognise the need to try to ensure the cost to the householder will be within his or her capacity to handle. That is something to which we all aspire. I am unsure how well founded the notion is that we can have anything for free. I am unsure whether it is well grounded. I do not think there is anything that is provided free any more for anyone anywhere. If we were to go down that road, I would hate to be among the general public as they could be the victims of the joint policies of, on the one hand, the Fianna Fáil Party which wants to do this with the one hand and that with the other with a general policy of amelioration for everyone and, on the other, the Technical Group, the Independent Group or the Sinn Féin group which wants free services for all.

The Acting Chairman is a very tolerant man. I thank him for his tolerance. I will pardon Deputy Barry Cowen on the basis that he has fully recognised that what I have just said is absolutely true.

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