David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am relevant at the moment and I was retrospectively relevant if you had only given me the latitude that you usually do. I suppose I cannot say you have got your orders. I will leave that thought completely unspoken.

Can I point out that the travel allowance for Dáil Éireann would cover the wages of this House for a year? Why does the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, not go down there and let them get bicycles for themselves? How about that? It would be environmentally friendly. I hope the people of Ireland hear this. The travel allowance for Dáil Éireann would cover the wages of this House.

Let us look at the rest of the lies, and damn lies they are too, that we will save money on this thing. My friend Senator Barrett was brilliant on this. What will the Government do? It will fire the cleaners and all the secretarial staff. It says the Bills Office and the Journal Office will be affected, so it will fire a few more there. That is wonderful economics. Why did the Minister of State not take into account the fact that the Government will have to pay social welfare to these people? The Government is putting people on the dole. That is its wonderful jobs programme. It will actually throw people out of work in the centre of Parliament. I hope the people of Ireland take note of this and see that the policy of this Government is the policy of unemployment, except of its fat self. The money its gets down there-----