Brendan Ryan (Labour)

By definition, I was raised a long time ago.

Would it be possible to have a serious debate on the issue of equality at some stage? There has been an outbreak of compassion on the opposite side of the House which has, in turn, produced an outbreak of self-righteous rhetoric from the minor party in Government. Some of that rhetoric deserves to be debated within a political forum in which people can be challenged. It is frustrating that all of these great philosophical speeches are being made outside the Houses of the Oireachtas where serious debate cannot take place. I call for a debate on this matter because I would like to hear how somebody in Government can justify the sustaining of inequality as an incentive. I would also like to be informed as to how a member of Government could believe that Ireland is somehow superior in the way it does its business to countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Austria and The Netherlands. People are saying outside the Houses of the Oireachtas that we have done better than those countries. We have not done so and the people are aware of that fact.

In the local and European elections, the people made a statement because they know what prosperity should provide and they are aware that this has not been provided. The fundamental issue in this country is that of inequality and the institutionalisation thereof. It is time this matter was debated in the House by Government and Opposition Members rather than being exclusively monopolised by Government Ministers making speeches, as Senator O'Toole stated, largely to party workers.