Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

I thank my colleagues for sharing their time with me.

The backdrop to the country's financial difficulties was outlined graphically by the Taoiseach in the Dáil yesterday. He indicated approximately 36,000 private sector employees lost their jobs in January. That is an indicator of the human misery associated with the downturn in the economy. Ipso facto, the undeniable truth that almost dare not speak its name is that not a single public sector employee has lost his job in the same period. I am not comfortable with framing the debate on this issue as a conflict between the public and private sectors but that is an undeniable fact. Many of the 36,000 who lost their jobs would willingly have taken wage reductions or opted for four-day weeks, as many of their colleagues have done. They would have done everything possible to cling on to employment.

Collectively, we all need to forge national consensus on how to proceed. I very much regret that the Taoiseach, in outlining the proposals, missed the opportunity to show that this House is prepared to lead by example. I have difficulty with how his proposals are skewed to the disadvantage of lower-paid public servants. Over the years, particularly in recent years because of economic affluence, there has been an explosion in the number of Oireachtas committees, Chairmen, convenors and Ministers of State. We should only have one Minister of State for every Department, totalling 15, and only one committee pertaining to each Department, also totalling 15. Bearing in mind the issue of sitting Members drawing ministerial pensions, we should show we are prepared to take the pain ourselves. By doing so, we would go some way towards forging the required national consensus.

These are unprecedented economic times. It is simply not sustainable that the country would continue to borrow €55 million per day. This is merely the start of it, and it is a poor start given that we have not managed to forge the required national consensus, as is evident in the newspapers. While nobody accepts pain willingly, a greater effort could have been made by the Taoiseach over recent months, during which his Government prevaricated, to forge the consensus necessary to see us through the crisis. The cuts of €2 billion, which will have an adverse impact on many, are only the beginning in that we face cuts of €4 billion next year and the year thereafter. The Taoiseach missed an opportunity in that regard. We in the House should be prepared to lead in respect of the cuts in the areas I have outlined.

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