Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

When one hears Senator Butler criticising others and throwing out remarks, one knows he is in trouble. He is defending the indefensible. Part of me admires his tenacity and fortitude. At least he is here. None of his colleagues is present.

I am not a parent but I am a devoted godfather and an adoring uncle. Some of my colleagues on both sides of the House struggle to balance their family, work and home lives. This section of the Bill is grossly unfair. It reinforces the poverty trap. More importantly, it is no more than a blunt measure for savings. There is no thoughtful acceptance or sincere understanding on the part of the Government of where people are at. This section, like the rest of the budget, contains no stimulus, no economic plan and no social strategy for inclusion. Any effort to build a sustainable, caring and safe social environment has been abandoned and replaced with the polarisation of society. Senator Mullen was right to say that a differential now exists, thanks to this Government. People are being penalised.

I hate to single out Senator Butler, who is the only Member on the Government side present. He spoke about the great things Fianna Fáil did. Absolutely. Holy God, sure it ran the country into the ground for the last ten years. When Deputy Bertie Ahern was Taoiseach-----