Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

The spending of public moneys forecast in the Estimates shows how much every taxpayer is forced to put into the Government's slush fund. The Minister for Finance has stated that an extra €6,700 will be spent for every man, woman and child. The question is, how effective is the spending? One needs only look at the health services and the vast amounts of money spent on it to see that throwing money at a problem does not solve it. The solutions to the many problems afflicting our public services require more than money.

From 2000 to 2007, current spending by the Government increased by an astonishing 120%. How has this spending transformed our public services? Do we have a first class health service? Do we have an enviable road transport network? This week, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources admitted some parts of the country will never have broadband services. The Government has presided over a First World tax haul but left the people with a Third World level of public service.

This morning, a constituent contacted me to express her dismay at the Government's ineffectiveness in tackling the prohibitive cost of child care. She likened paying for crèche care for her three children to a large second mortgage. The Government encourages women to enter the workforce to feed economic growth. Their taxes allow the Government to spend money like it is going out of fashion. What do they receive in return? Anecdotal evidence suggests the Government's €1,000 per child under six years scheme merely resulted in a corresponding rise in child care costs, meaning the working mother loses out again.

For many women, almost their entire salary goes to the crèche every week, a ridiculous situation. If the Government wants women to play a part in economic growth, it must invest those taxes it gains from mothers into child care. It is time to tackle this issue in a structured and systematic way. We can no longer make excuses for failing working mothers who make a vital contribution to the strong economy.

I welcome the plans to introduce more teachers at primary level. The Minister for Finance claims the pupil-teacher ratio will be reduced to 17:1 as a result of next year's investments. However, few classes will enjoy such a ratio. The Minister for Education and Science claims the pupil-teacher ratio stands at 22:1, yet all Members know of schools with class sizes of 30 or more. These pupils are at a serious disadvantage and their teachers' working day is exhausting. With this allocated funding, it is up to the Minister for Education and Science to ensure the additional allocation of teachers alleviates the problem of ridiculously large classes. The criteria for allocating teachers needs to be re-examined as a matter of urgency. I urge the Government to tackle these two important issues.

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