Brendan Ryan (Labour)

The third man is Deputy Michael D. Higgins — there is absolutely no doubt about that. There is a wonderful rhetoric of compassion, concern and all the good, social democratic instincts, but the fundamental problem is the delivery of the resources to follow through on that. The delivery of such resources is what distinguishes conservatism from social democracy. That is the reason the countries in Europe where child poverty is low are the countries where there is a strong healthy and vigorous social democratic tradition. I invite the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, and the Government, even at this late stage in their total capitulation to the PDs, to remember that.