Mary Moran (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Every year we have the reaction to the budget. No matter what Government is in office, be it Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael and the Labour Party, the Opposition parties will always attack it. That is the way it is. As regards the respite care grant and other cuts, we may banter over and back depending on what Government is in office, but I am concerned that people are genuinely suffering. I have been deeply touched and am concerned about some of the cuts that have been introduced. We must weigh it up and we all have difficult decisions to make. Rather than bantering over and back, and accusing each other, we should stop to examine the real issues that have arisen as a result of the budget.