Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

Extremely difficult decisions have had to be taken and more will have to follow — there is no question about that. This is just the first. It will mean more pain for almost everybody in society. I consider myself to be exceptionally lucky because I am in the public service, one of 350,000 people with a defined benefit pension. Some 80% of the workforce do not have that benefit and, I would say, would give their right arms for the security of a job at this time——