John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I am glad of the opportunity to contribute to this debate on the Finance Bill. We are all in agreement that following the economic turmoil of the past 18 months in particular corrective measures needed to be taken. In our opinion they should have been taken much sooner. We are now reacting rather than being proactive. There was also a definite acceptance among the general public that savings had to be made. As long as they were rolled out and implemented fairly, the public was willing to accept some of the pain. They will accept it if it is meted out in equal measure, but that did not happen with many of the provisions included in this Bill. A prime example is cited in the Fine Gael Private Members' motion, to be debated later, whereby 600 of the highest paid public servants are being dealt with in a totally different manner from lower paid public service workers who are being crucified with levies and charges from all angles. It is simply unfair, yet in yesterday's debate on the Bill the Minister for Finance suggested it was populist and begrudging to raise this issue. I fail to see how anyone could agree with that statement.

The Government's position on this matter is grossly unfair and indefensible. It flies in the face of the assertion that those who earn more should pay more. The expansion of numbers employed in the public service should be also noted. In the past ten to 12 years, it expanded at a far greater percentage rate in the higher grades of principal and assistant principal officer, where numbers increased by 462% and 339%, respectively.

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