Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

The Minister is very good at answering my points, but it is he who wishes to have it both ways. His predecessor as Minister for Finance, former Deputy McCreevy, introduced what he has called an ambitious political programme without any strategic analysis or thought given to whether it would fit. It was done in the wrong manner. By any standards, that is not the way to make important decisions about the future of the public service.

I accept that it has been done, but now the Minister is saying that the implementation is so intricate that he cannot be held politically accountable to the House or say what is happening regarding the different elements. That is what has happened. If a question were tabled tomorrow on what will happen regarding Ballinasloe, we would get the standard reply that the implementation group was examining all those extremely intricate issues and that we should wait and see. That is not the sort of political accountability that the Minister advocates regarding tax reliefs and many other matters. He cannot have it both ways.

Some of the proposals are nonsensical and seen as such, but the Minister wishes to avoid the political fall-out from his saying that we must abandon schemes that the Government accepts will not work. The Minister and his Cabinet colleagues are trying to have it both ways on this, and that is not the sort of political responsibility or courage for which he has stood in other areas. He must mend his hand and take proper political charge of this matter, abandoning schemes that cannot be implemented and establishing a proper strategic structure for what should be done.

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