John Gerard Hanafin (Fianna Fail)

I also raise the issue of the way that the public has been treated in the Passport Office. No doubt whatever aims the people who work in the Passport Office may have had, have been negated in full by the strong reaction from the public and I suggest that this is not the way forward to achieve their aims. When this economy was doing quite well, there was benchmarking. Given the severe downturn, there was no question of upward only benchmarking. Everybody had play their part. Notwithstanding that, there would be a time when the social partners would be told the sacrifices being made now would not be forgotten and that when the economy would begin to grow again, benchmarking would reappear and continue on an upward trajectory. That is an important point. The good times do not last forever but neither do the bad times.

There was a fine call for a debate on Seanad reform and the question over the supporting of the abolition of the Seanad. That said, one of the comments suggested that the Green Party took 30 pieces of silver for dealing with Fianna Fáil. That is probably one of the most ignorant, stupid and wrong comments I have ever heard in this House.