Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the budget debate. When the Taoiseach made his statement to the House, one comment in particular caught my attention. He stated: " Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures." Nothing has ever been displayed to such an extent as these words. It was unprecedented to bring the budget forward from the usual date in December to October. In doing that, we know the carelessness with which it was put together. The Ministers were not aware of the contents and significance of the budget measures. They were out of touch with reality. Looking back and regretting that they brought it forward, if they had the opportunity they would have thought it out properly. It amazed the public how each Minister could sit around a table to produce it.

As each day goes by, new issues are arising and are being teased out. There was a failure to scrutinise adequately the proposals and bring them forward to the people in an acceptable way. The Acting Chairman, Deputy O'Connor, made a peculiar statement in his contribution and perhaps he can clarify it in the future. He stated that one has to be inside the tent to get things done. Coming from Galway, that could mean lots of things. What comes to mind immediately is the tent in Galway. It was a Fianna Fáil motto to have that idea out there. Over the years that the tent was in Galway, every developer and builder was told they had to be inside that tent to get things done. That has laid the foundation of the situation we are now in. Deputy O'Connor may have put a different construction on that tent but that is the reality of getting inside tents.

I refer to Deputy Fahey's deliberations today when he accused Fine Gael of hypocrisy in what the party has done in the past fortnight. If ever there was a man, and a former Minister, who must look into the mirror to see the epitome of hypocrisy, surely it is Deputy Fahey. In his absence, I remind him that when we see the relics of his time as Minister we are reminded of his schemes such as the lost at sea scheme. There is a review of this and we await the outcome of the investigation and what it will throw up. Many people will be interested in that issue.

I refer to the spin we have had during the past hour in this House, including Deputy O'Rourke suggesting no teacher will lose a job. In fact, 1,000 teachers at primary level and 1,200 at secondary level will lose their jobs. The schools affected by such losses are trying to come to terms with the serious consequences of the delivery of a proper education system in those circumstances without those teachers. I will return to this matter.

The budget was a panic response to the total irresponsibility of the Government. Each Minister, without exception, has played a part in bringing our economy to a standstill and worse. Deputy Bruton described the budget of the Minister for Finance as a black budget with the potential to turn a recession into a depression. That is the sad reality of the Fianna Fáil-led Government of the past ten years. Now, they say they are demanding a patriotic response from the people. Many have mentioned the patriotic response of all members of Government, bar the Minister when he delivered his speech, when they cheered this budget. There was a total lack of realisation of the depth of cuts and the hurt it would bring to so many. We need only refer to the situation outside the gates of Leinster House, with 10,000 or more elderly people driven in desperation to bring the message home to an unresponsive Government. The Government made five efforts at a U-turn and failed. It is out of fashion to make a U-turn in Fianna Fáil and that is saying something.

It took a person of the quality of Ms Anna Manahan to come out publicly on behalf of the elderly to say it is unacceptable that the medical card will be taken from the over 70s. That was one of the major factors that led to yesterday's situation. Half an hour later, 15,000 third level students were outside the gates saying they would not accept the return of fees because they have the benefit of an opportunity, namely to get an education and find work, that would be denied to so many others if fees were returned.

My main problem with the budget is the lack of a policy initiative that might indicate the Government has a plan or a programme for recovery. The Government can talk about it and the needs but there is no plan that we can recognise. We see Minister after Minister wheeled in here to announce the bits and pieces of cuts they will make. Today, we were told there would be further details of further actions. In an article in The Irish Times last week, the Taoiseach wrote:

I appreciate the sacrifices that this Budget requires. If we stay the course, however, I know that we will come through these difficult times and on to a path to economic recovery and renewal.

That will not happen. I suspect that what he means by "if we stay on course" is if he is able to remain in government for a while it might automatically lead to recovery, which we hope will be sooner rather than later. However, in the absence of structured policies that simply will not happen.

The people of this country are in a state of shock after the good times. Now we are back to the days of high borrowing, rising debt and an increasing tax burden on all people. A 1% levy across all sectors was initially included but then the Government rowed back and said a certain limited number of the lower paid would be exempt from it. It was a crude instrument, a sledge that frightened everybody because of the consequences.

In his delivery on budget day, the Taoiseach said the only way to provide quality public services and to maximise support for the less well off is to get back to strong public finances as quickly as feasible and to take the actions required to achieve this objective. What did the Taoiseach and his Ministers do in response to that? They made cuts and hurt the elderly, the young and the farming community. I shall return to that last point.

It is clear there has been an abject failure to reform the way we spend our taxes. Deputy Fahey's outburst against the Opposition in the Chamber today was, in part, because of jealousy of his constituency colleague who has a flush fund, a dormant account that he can spend in any place he wishes, while Deputy Fahey, no longer a Minister, is feeling the cold breeze.

With regard to education it is very important that we realise that the 32 cuts as now revealed will, if implemented, have serious consequences for the quality of education and for those who will suffer the subsequent outcome. Deputy O'Rourke mentioned special needs assistants, SNAs, earlier. That is fine but she left out the important factor that legislation and demands from the public required us to have a response to the special needs of people. It is regrettable the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy O'Keeffe, has postponed his statutory duties with regard to the implementation of that legislation, hurting once again the most vulnerable in our society, those with special needs. Many people are not aware that the consequences of that action is that many people with special needs will be further penalised within the education system. It will be the same for those who cannot get access to proper support in their community and in their homes, either at an earlier stage under the Department of Health and Children or later when the responsibility lies with the Department of Education and Science. The Minister, Deputy O'Keeffe, is new to the role and was pressurised and therefore the cut was greater in this instance.

We can look at the 32 cuts. In ways they are small but are demoralising in the effects they will have on particular groups. I shall mention a few of these. With regard to substitution, there is nothing in the statements of the Minister for Education and Science that shows he understands the consequences and the downside of the wiping out of substitution except through medical certification. From now, the practical situation in schools is that if a teacher is out on any given day for any reason, school duties or otherwise, there will be chaos. Some teachers will have to look after two classes or, as I believe the alternative will be in small, rural primary schools, students will have to be sent home. If that is the type of education the Minister and this Fianna Fáil-led Government is to bring in, it is time for them to go.

The Government promised before the last general election that no child under nine years of age would be in a class of 20 or more. Now we know that at least 100,000 children will be in classes of 30 or more in the ordinary run of events, as and from now. I can name three schools in my local area which had an enrolment of 48 pupils on 30 September. Two, Clontuskert and Foneagh, will not quality for the additional teacher to which they would have been entitled next September as a result of the Minister's raising the pupil-teacher ratio by one. In that situation, if one teacher is absent for a day for some reason, how can the Minister expect a lone working principal teacher with responsibilities for administration and everything else to cater for 48 students in that school? This is the reality that was not thought out by the Minister or the Government and the consequences will be unbelievable.

In secondary and primary schools there will be no opportunity for children to be involved in extra-curricular activities such as games, drama or any other social situation, if this decision is implemented. Will we have a Minister who denies, at primary level, an adequate number of teachers in schools, who especially denies services to those with special needs, who at second level eliminates those other facilities?

Time and again over the past two months we have heard Ministers in the areas of health and education talking about obesity and the necessity to involve students in PE and in active healthy activities, with proper healthy food. This is typical Fianna Fáil speak, out of both sides of their mouths. They say one thing but do the other thing which undermines the first. I know that over the next weeks concerned parents and teachers at all levels will seriously protest about a situation that cannot be allowed to continue.

Another new Minister, another new broom, was swept under the table of Cabinet when he was forced to introduce the abolition of installation aid and the retirement pension. There were cruel cuts in disadvantaged areas and other schemes. Various spokespersons for rural people, not merely the IFA, have spoken of the commitment many people have. Earlier we had a Government spokesman talking about the support for business and start-up business. That is a classic example of doublespeak. Members of Government talk in this Chamber of support for new businesses while at the same time they deny young people the opportunity to work their inheritance and have an opportunity of a living in rural Ireland. They do so by taking away grants. Those who have already entered into that movement are now told there are huge expenses. Many have leased property and have involved themselves in considerable loans in anticipation——

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