Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

Senator Quinn has encapsulated what I like to think is the hope of the majority around the country, if not in the House. It is a message of hope rather than the politics of despair. I appreciate that there will be charge and counter charge in the House because that is the nature of politics, but, as Senator Quinn said, this is still a wealthy country and we have a great deal going for us. In the past ten years we enjoyed unprecedented prosperity which cannot be written from the record. It is interesting that none of the issues we are discussing featured during the election campaign in 2007. There was no discussion of a banking crisis or about us getting out of an economic crisis. All of the political parties attempted to present a positive message to the electorate. In some instances, parties which will be in power in the next few months were insisting that more money should be spent and there was never a question about what would happen between 2007 and 2010. To try to airbrush from history what this and previous Administrations did from 1997 is both incorrect and dangerous to the public psyche because it creates the impression that everything is so bad that there is no longer any hope.

I acknowledge the comments made by Senator Donohoe and echo those made by Senators Harris, MacSharry and Walsh. All of us will have to make a contribution. Unlike many Members, I have a family of five and, irrespective of other things I might do, rely almost totally on my Seanad income, but I accept that we are paid more than many, while others have no money because they have no jobs. According to the statistics, some 40% of public expenditure is on one category and it is unrealistic that it can be left untouched.