Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I wish to register a protest. There was an opportunity for the Government to have made these announcements in the House, but we did not receive the statement until well after 3.30 p.m. despite the commitments given by the Taoiseach. A number of the measures announced by the Government today have been promoted by the Fine Gael Party for quite some time. I support the measures that have been mentioned, in particular, in respect of the huge expenditure on public relations and consultants within Departments, the element of ministerial and higher civil servants' pay, and the attempt to halt the shambles that has become evident in respect of the decentralisation programme. These matters have been referred to by Fine Gael for a number of years.

This three and a half page document appears to have been cobbled together in an ill thought out fashion since the half-yearly figures were produced by the Department of Finance last week. This is not about a fiscal crisis for the country; it is the consequence of economic mismanagement by a Government which has proven itself to be probably the worst Administration of the past 50 years. This document contains no vision, economic stimulation or anti-inflationary measures. It seems to me that the document is ill-thought out and has been cobbled together haphazardly.

Can the Taoiseach provide a breakdown of how the €440 million in savings will be apportioned between the broad categories referred to? As regards all Departments, State agencies and local authorities where a 3% payroll cut is to become effective by the end of next year, can the Taoiseach give a guarantee that no front line services will be affected outside the Department of Health and Children and the Department of Education and Science? Many of those Departments and local authorities provide front line services such as social welfare benefits, waste collection and waste management.

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