Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

I wish to raise several issues on the Order of Business. The United States company, Kraft Foods, recently indicated its intention to take over Cadbury, which will have a significant impact on employment throughout the Cadbury group. Some 1,200 are employed by the company in this State between Coolock and Kerry. The British Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Lord Mandelson, has met with the chief executive officer of Cadbury to seek to protect jobs in that jurisdiction, but the Tánaiste seems to be of the view that it would be inappropriate to intervene in this way. Will she reconsider this short-sighted position? There are extraordinary exposures for this company which has been a significant employer for a long time.

An issue that has come to public attention following the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General is the situation where 4,000 trips were taken by persons, predominantly spouses, who were not staff members of the relevant agencies. Where is the compass of propriety in respect of the spending of public money when it is seen fit for so many employees to have their spouses' travel expenses paid for by the taxpayer under the pretence of exceptional circumstances? We must have reassurance from the Government that these practices will be stopped immediately. They are unacceptable to taxpayers who will today see a finance Bill which seeks to scrape money-----

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