David Norris (Independent)

As the aeroplane disintegrated in flight, the characters inside it kept rushing around with the magic shamrock and asking people to join up. Since the situations are the same, we must consider the matter.

I have with me two of the shoal of messages that I have received. They reflect the public's feelings. The first letter, which was sent by one of my constituents, states:

The public recognise the grave economic danger this country is in. Most fair minded people are agreeable to play their monetary part in assisting recovery but not, as in the current situation, where there is no honesty, no transparency and an improper application of rushed "emergency" measures. There is a very strong public sense that the current regime is attempting to cover its own (and the banks' and speculators') myriad of mistakes by utilising thieving measures to correct same. The steps currently being undertaken are presently creating a perfect environment for civil unrest. These measures, undoubtedly, belong in the "Penguin Book of Mis-Goverment" and not the Statutes of Legislation.

The last comment may be harsh, but the people's perception is that the measures are unfair. The letter also states:

Incidentally, the "pay cut" alone will cost me, personally, €84,000 gross between now and retirement. Finally, and somewhat regrettably, I must concede that the first line of the Ulster Covenant, quoted below, has been affirmed. "BEING CONVINCED in our consciences that Home Rule would be disastrous to the material well-being of Ulster as well as of the whole of Ireland".

The writer is not a Unionist, but someone who feels betrayed.

Another constituent indicates that the levy will cost him €144,000 by the time he retires and that he is considering immigration. To do so, he will leave behind an aged parent who will pass into the custody of the State, which will incur a charge on the Exchequer. He indicates that he would infinitely prefer a strong approach to general taxation. I will not rehearse what I have stated, but I placed figures on the record last night as to how a sum of €4 billion could be raised in the next three years via a staged increase in taxation.

This emergency measure is a camouflaged form of taxation, not a pension levy. Instead of picking off elements piecemeal in alleged emergency legislation, it would be better to be honest and to address the situation through taxation. For this reason, I support the amendment. If the Government wants to inspire confidence, it should be prepared to tell people that it is introducing these measures because of the emergency and that the emergency will hopefully not last for more than a couple of years, after which time the measures will be re-examined. Senator Alex White's amendment does not propose the measures' removal in two years, only their monitoring to determine their continuing necessity. I will support this reasonable and rational approach.