Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

I agree with previous speakers with regard to Northern Ireland. Politics has won out and the one thing we can all learn is that violence led to nowhere except to polarisation. It will be remembered that, unfortunately, thousands of people paid with their lives during the Troubles. I was born in the same year as the Sunningdale Agreement. I often wonder why we are only reaching this point now when it could have been reached 30 years ago. It is regrettable that so many people paid with their lives in the meantime. We need to reiterate, in particular to the generation who have grown up in peaceful times and who might mistakenly think violence is the way forward in the future, that there is no role for violence in politics. While it is possible it will return, I hope it does not.

I agree with Senator Terry with regard to PRSI contributions. This is the biggest issue since I became involved in politics. We hear of the pensions timebomb. When I was paying for staff in my office, I never had any objection to paying the PRSI rates because PRSI is so important later. There is nothing worse than having people come to public representatives when they are looking for benefits only to discover they have inadequate stamps and so on. If extra money is left over, why not expand the scheme to improve dental, optical and other benefits? What the Taoiseach said last week was irresponsible.