Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

Many Members asked for an all-party motion on the difficulties of a Green Party leader in Colombia which I fully support and hope to have on the agenda for the leaders' meeting next Tuesday.

I welcome the budget, of which 29% is being spent on health and 31% on social welfare, making 60% on the two areas, on behalf of the underprivileged, senior citizens and those on the margins. For a senior citizen €14 is a large sum of money. We on this side of the House never reduced a social welfare payment in our time in government since 1932. I am proud to be the leader of the Fianna Fáil group here, apart from being Leader of the House. By contrast, the parties pontificating here this morning reduced the old age pension from five shillings to four shillings and social welfare recipients——