David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

They voted for the arrangements. We should remember the €203 billion which is our debt at the moment. We should remember that those who are back at work, which I am very glad about, are working for the German and French banks. They are paying off their debts. I find that very aggravating. The sum of €64 billion of that €203 billion was directly related to the banks. That is a huge amount. Of course, expenditure on the Civil Service and so on had mushroomed in the previous ten or 15 years. That was a real problem - endemic through all governments - that needed to be looked at.

It is shameful that we are yet again sliding in terms of the amount of money we provide for overseas development aid. We ought to realise that this is a small planet. We are all interconnected. We all have to look after each other. We are listed in the Brookings Institution as a stand-out country because of our contributions. That will not last if we keep cutting the amount. It is down again. It is down to 0.46%. This is a percentage of our income. As the income shrinks, our contribution shrinks. If we have decided we are capable of giving 0.7%, and the Government in 2000 did so decide, and have made brave efforts to get up that level, we should not now be shrinking back from it.