Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)

I wish to answer a few specific questions. I will respond to Senator Rónán Mullen's questions as he took the trouble of numbering them and setting them out in detail. On the consequences of debt repayment for social solidarity, there is huge pressure on social solidarity at the moment. I will reply to Senator Mullen in the same vein as I spoke to Independent Members in the Dáil earlier today. The consequences of social solidarity if we withdraw from an EU-IMF programme and our schools and hospitals shut down next week is that there is nobody to meet the massive bill for the State to pay social welfare, disability allowance and carers. We must put matters in context. It is all very well to say that we should pound the table and shout the loudest.