Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

I repeat my question to the Tánaiste. Does he believe it shows good authority that at a time when workers must cope with 5% inflation, the Government is on course to take salary increases of, in some cases, €38,000, which is €4,000 in excess of the average industrial wage? If we are in a period of greater economic difficulty — the Tánaiste talked about facing that in some coherent fashion — what moral authority or leadership is shown by the Government which is accepting increases far in excess of what people earn as an average wage? Where is the moral authority in that stance?

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