Larry Butler (Fianna Fail)

I concur with Senator Coghlan. We are playing for the same team and we want to ensure we work our way out of the very tough situation in which we find ourselves. Many people here would not realise that back in the 1970s we had no partnership and had strikes daily. We had strikes in the docks and could not get anything in or out. We had bank strikes. I needed to go to people like Senator Quinn to get my cheque cashed and get my groceries from the very good man in Blackrock who kept us going as a family at that time. We have forgotten about those dark days which were much darker than they are now.

It is important not to rush what we are doing. We need to deal with this thing in a cautious, careful and measured way. We should work with the social partners to explain the difficulty in which we find ourselves. We cannot do this without involving the team, including every one of us in this House. The Taoiseach is correct. He has a measured approach to dealing with the issue. He has put a framework document together.