Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I conclude that in the assessment of the range of visits it is time to cut back on some of these, given that some of them appear to last for a week or ten days. St. Patrick's Day is always on 17 March. Surely it should be possible to have a closer examination of the value of what we have done here, not to mention the absent Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, and his carbon footprints from New Zealand to San Francisco. Perhaps the Taoiseach might re-examine the value for the country of the visits both before and after St. Patrick's Day.

I do not want to send every Minister away with his or her own sandwich pack in a bag. In terms of what is happening on the streets and the disconnect between Government and the people re pay increases, salary increases, and requirements to cut back, there is a need to cut back but there is no evidence of any cutback here, rather it is the contrary. The Taoiseach should reflect on that as a balance against what we want to achieve for our country and at the same time to demonstrate effective leadership.

See this speech in context