John Whelan (Labour)

We will restore those jobs.

In regard to the household charge and the endeavours of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, who has taken strong and robust initiatives in the area of local government and the funding of same, one cannot speak out of both sides of one's mouth and with forked tongues as in the Sinn Féin amendment. The reality is that one cannot have strong local government and good local services, such as playgrounds, parks, roads, lighting and fire stations, and then tell people not to pay the household charge. It is immoral and it is wrong.