David Norris (Independent)

This amendment is like a mission statement. I do not see it doing the slightest damage, but it is really rather exhortatory.

I want to take up what my distinguished colleague, Senator Harris, had to say, and welcome it strongly. He has been a harsh and trenchant critic of the Frontline Alliance for clear and idealistic reasons. There was no nastiness in it. He felt it passionately. Having seen these people and their response, he feels these are not dangerous Jacobins; these are ordinary and decent people.

I also saw that march and I was impressed by them. They asked would I be with them on the 24th and I replied that I sincerely hope it will not be necessary for them to be there. I hope they can be persuaded and that their plight can be looked at because Frontline Alliance services are at the delivery point of the most important services to the average citizen.

Frontline Alliance, in its little leaflet, gives a couple of examples, such as the present position in health. I am sure the Minister will be aware of this. This is why it is so important to get this thing done properly. I agree with the idea that we must take all necessary steps to prevent this because what is already happening is so awful, and there is more to come. In health, gone are 6,000 staff, 4,000 hospital beds and 300 front-line posts, and there is the cutting of patient transport and ambulance services, the increasing of accident and emergency fees to €125, the increasing of thresholds for medical cards and drug refund schemes, and the means testing of home care.

I am all in favour of means testing everything, but it is all a question of where the bar is set. It could be devilishly unfair if it is set wrong, but I have no difficulty with means testing. I realise that would exclude me from many services. I do not care a damn; it never bothered me.

On crime, 350 Garda stations are closing. My local police station, Fitzgibbon Street, is being closed. It is unbelievable that with a serious crime problem this major station in the heart of the city of Dublin is being closed. The Garda states the station is closing for redecoration, but I did not come down the Liffey in a bubble. The leaflet also refers to such matters as 800 front-line Garda posts gone, the shelving of the new urban CCTV, the closing of 40% of the courts.