John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. The majority of the 4 million people in this island are not economists or fiscal experts and they are probably fed up hearing about deficits, front-loading, GDPs, GNPs, €5 billion, €30 billion, etc. The only thing they know for certain is that in four weeks time they will face one of the harshest budgets in the history of the State. They are desperate for clarity and certainty as to how the budget will impact on them and their families. Along with that clarity and certainty, they have to be given some hope of a brighter future they can look to with confidence. Instead of clarity, certainty, hope and confidence, PAYE workers, business people and the unemployed are confused and uncertain. Many are in despair and lack any belief in their future.

I will illustrate with an example of a small businessman who telephoned me about two hours ago. He is a sole trader in a village in my constituency who breathed life into that community - I would call it a crossroads - 13 years ago when he opened a small grocery shop, adding to it gradually and sensibly over the years and increasing the number of his employees to 14 people overall. He never reneged on one debt or to any of his suppliers. He had an overdraft facility of €50,000 and facilities for direct debits to be paid to suppliers. At all times, he has been in communication with his bank and has done all the things bankers tell their customers to do. Last week, the overdraft and direct debit facilities were withdrawn without notice. The first he heard of it was when some of his suppliers telephoned him to say they had got a letter from his bank. He contacted his local bank manager, who know nothing about it. It had been done from headquarters. When contact was made with the decision maker that night, not only did he refuse to explain, he stated that he would sleep easily in his bed that night and accused the man of trying to put him on a guilt trip.

Is that giving hope to that sole trader, all of whose possessions are on the line, even though he is giving employment to 14 people in his local parish and breathing life into his community? Is it any wonder that small business people like him feel a disconnect with what is going on at Government level. I asked if I could use him as an example and promised not to use his name. He said I could give his name if I wished. I will not do so, for obvious reasons. He is willing to come before any committee and explain his case.

The Government has asked for consensus in this House in order to deal with the massive financial crisis. That would be a reasonable request, if the Government would put their hands up and say they got us into this mess. It is also reasonable for that businessman, whose example I have outlined, to look for a consensus approach from his bank on how he can face his problems. It is not acceptable for his bank guru, whom the taxpayer has saved from extinction, to act in such a high-handed and arbitrary manner. How dare he? Perhaps that hard-working shopkeeper would have got a better hearing if he had belonged to a large company that walked away and disowned a few hundred million pounds worth of debt. This is why there is such a disconnect between the people and politics. Let us have a consensus here, forcing the banks to be fair to our small businesses.

We in Fine Gael recognise the need to apply corrective measures sooner rather than later. We have committed to the 3% target for 2014 but the Government must send a clear signal that it is playing to the same rules as the people. That has not happened in the past. The waste and squander mania continues. Parliamentary questions I tabled in recent weeks have revealed that a number of Departments are not observing the job embargo. Twelve Departments paid out almost €70 million in hiring 4,268 agency staff over the past two years. This includes €16 million from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government but does not include the Department of Health and Children, which was reported to have spent €100 million on agency staff. Is that living by the same rules as the aforementioned businessman? I say "No".

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