Brendan Ryan (Labour)

These people should consider the amount of child benefit they receive, in some cases until their children are 21 years old. Without this benefit, they would require a much greater salary in order to have the same amount in their pockets. They should also consider the roads they use and the generous mortgage interest relief on their homes. All these benefits must be added up. People like me get more from the State than the alleged malingerers who live on social welfare and are the subject of so much abuse. This is the way the system works and it is a nonsense to suggest that the taxation which provides all this is theft.

However, there is a valid issue here. I pointed out to the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, on a previous occasion that after his great intervention with the IFA on this issue there was never again a squeak from that organisation about compensation. All the Minister of State did was smile.