Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

Some are never happy. It is unusual to be heckled so early in my comments and before I have really arrived at any point whatsoever. I am sorry to see Deputy Stanton is in such a mood as I have ten minutes of further comments to share with him.

Politicians must identify priorities and make tough decisions which, inevitably, cause some to disagree with them. For too long, politicians have been systematically divesting themselves of rights and powers. The process continues through regulations passed on a daily basis. There is no real point in politics if we fail to take tough decisions while continuing to hand responsibility for the decision-making process to other bodies. There is such a thing as a Constitution in this country which provides for separation of powers. The key word is "powers". We have powers, which we divest, foolishly, to the courts if we wish. Every parliament has powers and very few of them give their powers away willingly. However, this is what is being argued for over and over by Members on social and economic matters. It is unfortunate that powers continually trickle out under the doors of Leinster House and this phenomenon has developed over the past 30 or 40 years. The European Union has been charged will almost all day-to-day regulation of agricultural and employment matters while the United Nations has been granted sovereignty over our military capacity and the World Trade Organisation has been given the right to decide our trade policy. Meanwhile, the unions have been granted powers under wage agreements. Many of these slippages in power have been positive but I find it hard to take that politicians would willingly seek to transfer their powers to another body and this is at the core of the view that the courts should be granted the right to determine financial provision for people with disabilities.

A million quangos have powers and quasi-administrative functions and we ought to put a stop to them. We should take on the duties given to us by the people who elected us. We are in the House to make tough decisions and represent those who chose us and not to be popular.

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