Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform
Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 - Shared Services (Revised)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
1:00 pm
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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I also object to the taking of this Estimate. The Minister was very prominent in the media, proclaiming to the nation that he was about to run out of money at the end of the year. He has identified a €300 million shortfall in the budget - I know he anticipated that from Croke Park II. As has been said workers were invited to ballot on that matter and they have decisively rejected those proposals. I understand the Government is in reflective mode over the next step, but it is a queer kind of reflection when the Minister goes ahead with the very proposals that have been rejected and hard-wires them into the figures. This is no way to do business. It is certainly no way to treat people working in the public service. It is also no way to treat this Oireachtas. The Minister clearly needs to identify a plan B. If, as he claims, he needs to find an additional €300 million then he needs to establish from where that will come. It cannot come from Croke Park II because in accordance with the democratic process undertaken by the workers through the unions, those proposals have been rejected.
Therefore, I object to the ordering of speaking time for this debate and also to the taking of this Estimate.