Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Government has not listened to anyone in the Opposition. The civil servants in the Department of Finance continue to say this is how it has to be.

No local authority can sign a contract of any size without approval from the Department of Finance. There are two muppet Ministers, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Minister for Defence, who must go to the Minister for Finance whenever they want to make an appointment and ask if they satisfy the criteria for approval. It has never happened in the history of the State that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has been rendered powerless by a decision that he must go to the Minister for Finance for all these appointments.

The Government has taken the easy targets instead of the difficult decisions.

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