Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

I am delighted to welcome the budget. I also welcome my constituency colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Jimmy Devins. He has been a Minister of State for a long time but I have never had an opportunity to speak in the House while he was taking the business of the day.

There is no doubt that this is a very difficult budget which is coming at a very difficult time. The Taoiseach, Deputy Brian Cowen, has acknowledged that it was a difficult budget containing difficult measures. However, it would not have been introduced if there was not a need for it. Everybody in the country can be heartened by what Peter Sutherland had to say this morning. I am sorry that Senator Buttimer is leaving the Chamber because——