Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

Fianna Fáil is either for the people and the national interest or it is not. However, it has not been for them. It has made a hames of the boom, its policies have come to the end of the line and the waterfall of money has dried up. Now, instead, the Government is a bit like Fagin in "Oliver!" and will have to pick a pocket or two. It will pick the pockets of the poor people on the minimum wage, those who need employment and whom we should be looking after.

The job of Government is to protect the most vulnerable and those in need. Its job is social protection, but it has lost sight of that. At least a former Taoiseach, Charles Haughey, had the courage to say he would look after those on social welfare. I remember that when I was young he gave out free toothbrushes. Fianna Fáil is doing the equivalent of taking them back now.