Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

No one over the age of 70, save in the most exceptional circumstances, should be sent to prison. I agree that we should have the debate proposed by Senator Ó Murchú. What influences the mentality of those who would go and beat up old people in the manner shown?

I welcome, in so far as they go, the concrete increases of €50 million or €60 million in the overseas development aid budget. If Senator Ryan went over previous programmes for Government and manifestos back to 1981, he would find that many Governments had pledged during their time in office to achieve the target of 0.7%. All Governments, including Senator Ryan's colleague, Deputy Burton, have found it difficult to achieve as great an advance as they would have liked. It is good that there is a three-year rolling programme and that we will get, let us hope, close to 0.5%. The pledge has not been reneged on, any more than it has been reneged on or abandoned by 24 other OECD countries.