David Norris (Independent)

I am exactly concentrating on that. I thank the Cathaoirleach for his guidance. The point I am making is that the Government can suddenly, at 6.50 p.m. on a Tuesday, find €50 million lying around the place, but apparently we are told there must be all these swinging cuts that do not save a penny, will create inefficiencies in the system and will deprive people of their rights. The Minister may well have been supplied with facts or figures that might appear to show otherwise. I will find great difficulty in swallowing them. If there is any serious intention to try to hoodwink people about this, why not subject it to an independent cost-benefit analysis and let us know what are the facts. I challenge the Government to do that. I bet it would not have the courage to do so because it knows what the answer will be, as do a few wise old birds on the other side of the House.

I am opposing this section. I shall probably confine myself to that one vote. It shames the House that these words should be read into the record: "The Agency shall be dissolved on the commencement of this Part." What an awful thing. As we go into the worst recession this country has probably ever seen, the Government addresses it, as it addressed the question of inequality and discrimination, not by curing it, not by reaching out and trying to do something positive, but instead by a negative and destructive action, by collapsing the agency that is more than ever needed during these difficult times. This is a shameful day's work and I shall certainly call a vote on this issue as I understand my colleagues who have spoken so effectively this afternoon also wish for a vote.