Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Sit down and listen to what people have to say. The Senator is interrupting everybody all day. We have been speaking about pre-budget debates, which is something we have had far more of this year than we ever had before. I remind Members that on 18 October 2012 the Minister attended for pre-budget statements on social protection and 12 Members contributed. We did not have the same passion or number of press members in attendance during that debate. Of those 12 Members, not many offered suggestions as to where the Minister could find ¤26 million. That was two months before the budget. Let us cut out the nonsense of not having enough time to speak about these issues prior to the budget. We had time and 12 Members spoke.