David Norris (Independent)

That, undoubtedly, involves a budget. We should have one within the next month and we should address the tax issue.

I am blistered with e-mails from people pointing out the anomalies, inequities and injustices that have alienated the people. They are asking for a tax and stating they will pay it if everybody does. The super-rich, in particular, should be targeted, and we in the House should be targeted also because we are comfortable here. There should not be tinkering with legislation that we are not even allowed to amend.

I listened to the interview this morning with respect. The former Taoiseach, Dr. FitzGerald, was a most distinguished politician. He did encounter a few banana skins and presided over a Government that came down because of an unwise tax proposal that was not sold to the people. He had his personal debt expunged by a particular bank and recently retired from a hedge fund. Let us have a debate on hedge funds. I spoke with a friend and financial advisor yesterday at lunchtime and asked him to explain hedge funds. He said the process involved is like putting a bet against a football team, which would actually damage the prospects of that football team. That is a kind of national treason also.

I would be very much in favour of a real debate on the economy. Let us have all the facts. I never heard of the new CEO of the Bank of Ireland until this morning. We are not even allowed to know how much he is getting. That is astonishing to me and provocative to people.

I regret the cutbacks to overseas development aid. They were probably unnecessary because the budget contracts income. We were giving a percentage, which is naturally contracting in any case. I would have been happy to leave it at that. That would have meant that ordinary people would not feel that their money was being splashed around and we would have been giving a proportion that we could afford. The figure should remain as a percentage.

I am extremely glad the UN Population Fund is being supported by the Government. Long may this continue. It is talking sense about population, which is the biggest problem this planet has ever faced. We should have some moral leadership in this regard.