David Norris (Independent)

I am establishing my credentials. I also stated my opinion that the child care benefit, of which Senator Bacik has spoken so eloquently, should be means-tested. I do not mind being means-tested for anything I get so I am not arguing that we should fire money at everything.

The services North of the Border and in other countries are incomparably better. The wife of Victor Griffin, a good friend of mine, had multiple sclerosis and they moved to the North of Ireland specifically because services here were so rotten compared to what they got in the North of Ireland. My difficulty with the Minister is not that I do not trust her - she is a most honourable woman - but she is not in the Government on her own. She must deal with the Minister for Finance and his Department, as well as the other ogres who will do everything they can to retrench. It seems that we are talking about what will be the budget in 2014.