Frank Fahey (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

It is fair to say that it is a question of resources and of agreement between the social partners. We have come quite a long way and I am the first to accept that we have a long way to go, but a balance must be struck. Senator Terry's proposal has significant cost implications. Everything goes when one is in Opposition, but if Fine Gael were in Government tomorrow, choices would have to be made between a number of proposals that were made by Senators in the Opposition benches today. Very cogent cases were made for child care workers to be paid by the State, for payments for those on parental and paternal leave and for child care benefits to be increased considerably.