John Gilroy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber and I add my voice to those wishing another Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, my good friend and constituency colleague, a speedy recovery. She is doing an immense job and covers four different sectors in Departments, any one of which could easily carry a junior Ministry on its own. The work she is doing in the area is commendable.

I welcome the motion and Senator Power's interpretation of it, although I am not so sure I welcome Senator Darragh O'Brien's interpretation. He has fallen into an uncharacteristically narrow view that may be more suited to Sinn Féin than Fianna Fáil. It is a case of recognising that cuts are necessary in an Augustinian or Sinn Féin-type manner, as he argues we should not have these cuts now. That was the tone of his contribution. It is uncharacteristic.