Any humane person can understand Senator MacSharry's passion for the issue that he raised. The same passion exists on the other side of the House. For a long time, I have had the feeling that many of the difficulties relating to vulnerable people - those who are handicapped or disadvantaged - do not stem from party policies, but from an attitude that might exist in every country. It certainly exists in Ireland, perhaps as a consequence of the Celtic tiger, namely, hold onto what one has. This attitude applies across the board. One cannot communicate with someone who is not in a position to find an extra €2 or €3 by getting caught up in semantics. A fundamental change in attitude is necessary. It is not a question of knocking percentages off of people, as knocking a percentage off of someone on a higher income does not mean much to him or her. For people at the bottom of the ladder, however, the same percentage can mean the difference between existence and non-existence.

Hear, hear.

Consider the Croke Park agreement. I have calculated that Senators will suffer a cut of €34. This will not be per week, but per year. It is not that Senators have already taken cuts. We have taken major cuts, including in expenses. Rather, the issue has to do with everyone in broadcasting, the media, business and so on. One section attacks another because we will not engage with the need for radical change. If there is no such change, there will be no improvement for people who cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel. They have no reason to get out of bed in the morning. They have broken hearts looking at their children who they cannot feed, keep warm or clothe. Whenever the House holds a debate, let us forget about parties and partisan positions.

Hear, hear.

Let us examine the basic attitudes that are causing many of the problems facing us.