Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will always acknowledge progress but that progress is not being applied very widely. I will give a particular example. We all know Brother Kevin Crowley of the Capuchin day centre. Last Saturday night, he was out on O'Connell Street at the GPO with a group singing carols from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m. At 10 p.m. on Saturday he made his way to a fundraising event for the Capuchin day centre organised by the Oireachtas ushers. A man in his 80s should not be in a position of having to do this. We know the number of people he feeds every day, with approximately 600 or 700 people coming in and approximately 1,500 food parcels going out. This should not be happening in a country that is wealthy. This is my point. Yes, progress is being made but it comes from a philosophy and ideology that does not take everybody into account. Yes, we have quality of life. All of us here have quality of life and we are looking forward to a good Christmas but we must be directed, and our policies and strategies have to be directed, towards those who are most in need and this is not happening.

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