Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is unfortunate that the Opposition is not playing. It has an important role in this democracy to hold the Government to account and to participate in this. It is unfortunate that Deputy Fleming has left. He proposed a reduction of €350 million, which included a reduction in sick leave, including uncertified sick leave; an average cut of 5% in allowances, saving €75 million; a deferral of increments in 2013; and accelerated targeted redundancies. I am committed to public services but he was looking to take more people out rather than provide the necessary public services in hospitals and schools, as well as seeking additional working hours and changes to work practices. We negotiated at the Labour Relations Commission. These were Deputy Fleming's pre-budget proposals but he has now walked out of an Estimates meeting which will be in fact far easier on the public service than what he proposed.

It is worth noting that Sinn Féin dismissed the Croke Park II proposals negotiated at the Labour Relations Commission before any document was published. It participated in the fantasy economics of hitting €100,000 public sector workers. In fact there are only 6,000 such public sector workers and the idea was they alone would pay for the €300 million reduction. We have seen what I believe is the worst in democracy: there is no participation and, in fact, it is almost going back to the old days when there was opposition for opposition's sake. It is not a case of working hard. As Deputy Mathews said, we are in a deep hole and we are all trying to work our way through this but the answer from the Opposition today is to walk away. I am very disappointed.