Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

Unfortunately, as Deputy Devins said, there is little time available to us to discuss this matter, so I cannot afford to spend time engaging in recriminations. However, the public are well capable of engaging in recriminations and will do so when they get the opportunity.

I wish to comment on the notion of consensus. I was at the Committee of Public Accounts all morning, so I did not hear what was said in the House but I watched the monitor. Judging from the Minister for Justice and Law Reform's body language, there will be no consensus from certain quarters opposite.

Tough decisions must be made. The House and the public must accept the reality of that. However, there must be an element of positivity. Deputy O'Donnell spoke about the importance of a strategy for growth, which is what the public believe is absent. They know there is doom and gloom here and more of it on the horizon. However, they do not see any light at the end of the tunnel or any opportunities for them, their businesses or their families to try to get through this.

The slow pace of decision-making has created an even worse climate. There is uncertainty about the severity of the cuts and conversely that has turned into certainty among people about how painful they will be. As a result, people are making very rash decisions.

For example, an article in the newspaper on Tuesday suggested that farmers should transfer their lands to their children before the budget because of the risk of tax implications arising from recommendations of the Commission on Taxation. That advice was being given to people. For anyone to make a life-changing decision such as that based on the belief that something might be in the budget is causing even more uncertainty. I have no doubt a significant number of people will make that decision and would be very badly advised in doing so. They are making it because they feel under such pressure to sort things out before the budget because it will penalise them so much. The environment being created by flying kites and so on has resulted in much concern and indecision.

We must create an environment for growth. We cannot just leave it to the agencies which operated in the so-called "good times" and expect that the same old same old will work in this climate, because it will not. I question the capability of many of the agencies, small and large, to deal with the current situation. I also question whether they have the expertise to get us out of the current position.

I refer to duplication and will give an example. The Minister of State, Deputy John Moloney, will be aware of the FÁS building in Mount Lucas in our constituency. FÁS is now offering a course to people which Offaly County Enterprise Board and, I believe, every county enterprise board in the country have been offering for ages. It is costing us millions of euro. There will be 36 places on the course which will take place in this vast empty building. Unfortunately, resources are going down the drain and it is not being tackled.

We must look to our indigenous industries, in particular tourism and the agrifood sector. There has been much talk about the capability of the tourism industry but it is only lip-service because things are operating in the same way. Ireland's national science centre is located in Birr Castle Demesne. The National Roads Authority put up road signs for the castle but one cannot visit the castle. Tourists leave disappointed that they cannot visit the castle. We do not promote what is available on the site. We must re-examine the concentration of resources in tourism geographical, administratively and sectorally.

The cuts must be fair. In the past week alone, I met two families who have children with severe special needs and who are in preschool. We give them the preschool grant but we do not give them special needs assistants so they may as well not be in preschool because they are not able to participate. The HSE has informed the families that special needs assistants are not being provided because it must scale down and implement cuts. One must examine the areas on which money is spent because increasing sums will be spent on the children in question as they progress through the education system. The State will not secure value for money and the children will not have their needs met.

Cuts in funding to the Jack and Jill Foundation ignore the money the foundation saves the State. This decision must be reconsidered.

We must ensure that work pays. I was laughed at when I raised this issue during the debate on social welfare legislation two years ago. Some of those on lower wages would be better off not working. Constituents attending my clinics have produced figures which demonstrate that the logical advice to them would be not to work as it would leave them financially better off. I have never given such advice but it remains the case and the issue needs to be tackled in the budget.

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