Feargal Quinn (Independent)

The Minister of State's contribution was extremely interesting. Earlier, Senator O'Toole asked us to speak from personal experience and I intend to do that. I was delighted to hear so many speakers doing so today. Senator White spoke from personal experience and the knowledge gained by running her own business, about the effect on exports of our currency's strength compared to sterling. That is a reminder of the challenges facing us.

Senator White also referred to the past 80 years, but it is only in the past ten years that the economy has become successful. Somewhere in the period 1987 to 1991, we got things right. We made a lot of blunders in the previous years. I remember well in 1991 meeting two people, one from Argentina and the other from Canada. They described how in 1922 their countries were equal in population, natural resources and opportunity. By 1999, one of them – Argentina – had become a failure and was practically bankrupt. The other had become a G7 nation and was successful. If we lose the economy we have enjoyed for the past ten years, we cannot blame anyone but ourselves. As Senator White said, we are an independent nation.

I wish to tell the House what I hear, as Senator O'Toole says, on the shop floor. I hear concern about job security. I hear concern when people are purchasing and spending. They are worried about the future, about the overtime and bonuses they were able to earn last year. Now they know of friends and neighbours who are losing their jobs and they worry that they will be next.