Jimmy Harte (Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Chair might give me some leeway as I was interrupted. Senator MacSharry was about 20 minutes over his time.

The Labour Party contribution to this budget was quite marked, with the Department of Social Protection maintaining social welfare rates and no cuts to education. I commend our Labour Party Ministers for the work they have done and I commend the Minister for Finance and the other Fine Gael Ministers for having a tough budget. I am not proud of this budget but it has to be done. It is short-term pain for long-term gain. It is the next generation, not the next election, we should be worried about.