Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Fianna Fáil for bringing forward the motion. I welcome each and every person who has come here and thank him or her for the great work he or she has done. I welcome the people who have come from County Kerry. I salute Mr. Michael Brosnan who worked for me and did great work on the schemes on which he worked. I salute all of the people who have come from County Kerry. They have made our parishes great through their great work during the years. That is how communities have been served and we thank them very much for their work. I am very disappointed with the Minister for not attending the debate. I am disappointed by the entire Fine Gael Party. There should have been more attention paid to the congregation that has come here.

What is going to happen? It does not look like Fine Gael or the Minister will listen to us, but I am asking Fianna Fáil to flex its muscles. It has a confidence and supply arrangement with the Government. In the budget in October it must ensure the Government will provide pensions for the people in question who have done Trojan work for their communities. If I did not pay Construction Industry Federation scheme stamp for employees to ensure they would receive a pension, I would go to jail, but that is what the Minister and the Government are getting away with. It is time they woke up because they are asleep.

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