Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is a very serious monetary situation the country finds itself in. It is not only the Government but everybody in the country who has to recognise where we all find ourselves, mostly through no fault of our own. I take responsibility for anything I did as a local councillor. I was impressed with speeches from Independent Senators who said that the Seanad is a place where one can make changes. However, I would be much more impressed if the Independent or Fianna Fáil Senators who spoke had identified from where the money is going to come. When the Minister was initially tasked with finding ¤540 million, she reduced it to ¤150 million. I did not remember until today that the initial spending that the Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrat Government sought was ¤800 million.