Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

At the time Everton had a tie-up with Home Farm, where my son plays. Clearly, he is an immensely practical and down to earth character, given that he is the leader of such a huge company. However, I will not get into things that might be perceived as being anti-competitive.

I thank the Senators for their contributions. I do not wish to underestimate the task faced by the Government. We have seen 350,000 jobs wiped out, many of which were held by young people. We are spending 40% more than we raise in revenue. This has nothing to do with the banks. It is a constraint no prudent manager of our affairs can ignore. We must, therefore, combine radical reform in the way we manage the public finances with creating opportunities for growth and enterprise which are ultimately the drivers of job creation.

The general shared view here is that employment is the main social challenge we face as a community. We may differ about the tactics or strategy and although I am happy to defend what we are doing I am also happy to take on board suggestions from people who do not share our views. I will listen to views where they can fit in a prudent approach to these challenges.