Dublin protest response
Senator Brady defends the people involved in the Dublin protests as ordinary working people and says the Government got it wrong. Senators Keogan and others interject support, and Brady urges lessons to be learned and the pain for affected sectors to be eased.
Today I would like to speak about the recent protests that we have seen in the capital. These people who were on the streets of Dublin are working class people - farmers, hauliers and contractors. They are people who stood with me in the past when I was in trouble. I would not like to see them labelled as anything else. As a member of Fine Gael, to be honest about this, I think we have got it wrong.
Comment on this
There are lessons to be learned. We will learn the lessons because the people of this country have spoken. I have listened quite clearly to what has been said. There are lessons to be learned in this House and in this whole building. Going forward, we should certainly not be afraid to say what we mean. That is very important. I hope that the measures will ease the pain for all those people out there because farmers, contractors and small businesses have experienced it. As a Government, it is incumbent on us now to work together and deliver for the people of Ireland.