Dan Boyle (Green Party)

I welcome today's meeting of the party leaders, at which the four-year budgetary strategy will be considered with particular reference to the forthcoming budget. I agree with Senator Donohoe that we should avoid comments about the "hand of history upon our shoulders". Today's talks will focus on what could be agreed, rather than trying to reach agreement. It is important that we all try to encourage those talks in where they might lead. When consensus is reached, it will be important to keep matters in their proper perspective. I accept that this is a serious situation and that policy mistakes have been made. I do not think the general atmosphere among the public is helped by pretending that an air of hopelessness exists. If we make the right and the difficult decisions, we can get out of this situation in a relatively short time and quite well. That is the political challenge which lies ahead of us.

Senator Bacik referred to the exercise taking place in the United Kingdom today where, proportionately, it will propose cuts higher than those we have put in place. When we think of ourselves as some type of economic island, we should also acknowledge that these decisions are being made in other jurisdictions.

I agree with Senator O'Toole on the need for a wide-ranging debate on education and how it is structured, particularly in the budgetary context in that it is the area which will need most protection in the decisions that must be made. The betterment of our society and the strength of our economy depends on making such decisions in the coming months.