Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Seanad Éireann" and substitute the following:

"- takes note of the Government's actions to deal with the economic crisis;

- recognises the budgetary measures taken by the Government to stabilise the public finances;

- notes the reduction in the number of Ministers of State and the reduction in staffing of Ministers' offices;

- acknowledges the extensive efforts of the Government to secure solidarity among the social partners;

- recognises the measures taken in the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Act 2009 which reduces the Ministerial pensions of sitting Members of either House of the Oireachtas by 25% and provides that payment of such pensions to sitting Members will cease after the next general election;

- notes the Attorney General's advice that the immediate and total abolition of pensions for a single category of pensioner would be unconstitutional; and

- notes that many sitting Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas and the European Parliament and others have made a gift of their Ministerial pensions to the Minister for Finance for the general benefit of the Exchequer."

I am glad to have the opportunity to make a few points on this issue, but I would prefer to have been speaking about Greece or other issues.