Joe O'Toole (Independent)

Yes. Something similar to what I am suggesting has been done within that group of companies in the United Kingdom. There is no equity in regard to pensions. I cannot find it in my heart to support this legislation. I have sometimes been the only person on this side of the House to support Government proposals. I have no difficulty in offering a disinterested view of a particular issue, but this Bill is utterly unacceptable because it is unfair and divisive. Our society is fragmenting before our eyes, with gardaí and Civil Service trade unions already striking, junior doctors preparing to go on strike and taxi drivers promising to clog the streets. The rich are pitted against the poor and public sector workers against private sector workers. There is no sense of community bonding.

The Government must take action to focus people on the "we" rather than the "I". The notion of each to his or her own is not good enough. We must work to bring people together, secure support for necessary action and move the situation forward. There must be a common objective that unites us and is accepted by everybody and which we all can recognise when it is achieved. The purpose of these amendments is to offer an end view. The Second World War ended many decades before the Emergency in this State was declared over. I support these amendments.