Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

At a time when people are afraid of losing their jobs and not having money to pay bills, mortgages and groceries, of evaporating retirement funds and a complete lack of confidence in the key State institutions, as Senator Ross rightly said, I want to ask the Leader a series of questions. In so doing, I emphasise that the Fine Gael party will vehemently oppose any plan to rush through the emergency legislation next week. We will fundamentally oppose the Government, first, because the legislation is rushed and, second, because it is unfair. In light of the comments of the Minister for Finance in his so-called tweaking U-turn on the Bill, we need time to debate it.