Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome engagement with the Minister at any time on this issue. I am only putting on the record of this House statements by the Labour Party in 2010 and the real facts behind what it said when Deputy Rabbitte, in a moment of clarity and truth, said: "Isn't that what you ... do during an election?" One promises but does not ever believe one is going to deliver.

Another Minister made what was possibly the most out-of-touch and outrageous comment by any Minister in the past year. The Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, was wondering what people were worried about in that the cost is only €3. This Government is supposed to represent all the people but, according to the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, it represents only those people who agree with it. He said, "We govern for reasonable people." Unless a person agrees with the Government, they are not reasonable and, therefore, it will not govern for them. The Minister for Health said it does not really bother him that people are protesting about €3 per week and that the Government has a much bigger problem. Of course, the Minister is correct because there are people who are fearful and there is homelessness and hunger. The Irish League of Credit Unions would tell us that 500,000 people have nothing at the end of the month. They do not have the €3 each week or €12 at the end of each month that is required to pay water bills. That is why I said the Government is out of touch. When the Ministers who believe it is no problem to pay €3 per week say they do not govern for the people-----