John Gerard Hanafin (Fianna Fail)

It amuses me at times to hear people misrepresent the facts to the effect that Fianna Fáil props up the bankers, as though intelligent politicians, who have won three general elections on the trot and whose instincts enable them to see around corners politically, have decided that their best role to be re-elected for a fourth term definitely would be to support the bankers. That is nonsensical and ridiculous and is not even worthy of a knee-jerk reaction.

Worse, however, were the comments of the president of the Garda Representative Association. This obviously is a group that deserves its privileged position in society because its members uphold the law for everyone and are obliged to deal with the criminal groups. However, they have suggested to those criminal groups that the people who make the legislation of this country are corrupt and thereby have given a bad hostage to fortune. The comments made by the president of the Garda Representative Association were so inappropriate that I must ask whether the association's members seriously consider what people want them to do. A recent poll that appeared in my local newspaper stated that 91% of people wanted the public service to accept the pay deal agreed to at Croke Park, while 9% did not. We in the public service are in a privileged position and must share the burden.