Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

Let us get matters straight. The Joint Committee on Education and Skills wrote to the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills inviting her to come before it in order to discuss the headings under which the current Administration is preparing the budget for the coming year. The Tánaiste refused that invitation. The Government refuses to be accountable to the Dáil for what is happening at present and for what took place in the past.

The key point I wish to make is that our sovereignty is gone because any view we might have must be referred to Brussels. Perhaps we have reached the stage where the Government will rename Áras an Uachtaráin "Áras Rehn" because it is clear that the power relating to the governance of this State lies elsewhere. Consent and agreement must now be obtained from the European Commission in respect of any proposals of a financial nature which we wish to put forward. That is the sorry pass to which the country has come.

We have been reduced to a terrible state. Under the current Government, there is no hope. It has put before us a plan for the next four years which it will never be allowed to implement because the wrath of the people will be visited upon it in the forthcoming general election. The Government is setting in stone certain things which we do not accept. As Deputy Kenny stated last night, one of the key attacks it is making is on the poorest and most vulnerable in our society, namely, the lowest paid. Those who earn least will suffer disproportionately under the proposals contained in this plan. That will have to be changed. A new Government will be obliged to put in place a plan for the nation. It will not be the current Administration which will be doing this. That is why a general election must be held as soon as possible.

The plan does not contain any of the reforms that are required in respect of the public sector. Such reforms could be easily insisted upon by any or all Ministers. In the area of education, there has been a disgraceful situation whereby those at the top levels in universities have been paying themselves moneys to which they were never legally entitled. For example, three presidents of the University of Limerick, concurrently and over a period of three years, drew down the full salary relating to the position of president. A former president of University College Galway was obliged to repay more than €250,000. In addition, staff at UCD were paid in excess of €1 million to which they were not entitled. In circumstances where people at the top are being paid money to which they are not entitled - even under law - and where the poorest and most disadvantaged are being screwed to the wall, it is obvious that there are grave inequalities in our society.

When I was a member of the Joint Committee on Transport, we tried to examine the position regarding bonuses in the public sector, particularly those paid out by the harbour authorities. We challenged the latter to outline the bonuses that were being paid and representatives from one of the authorities stated that we had no right to request such information. Bonuses are being paid to people in the public sector about which we do not know and about which the relevant individuals will not provide information. Harbour authorities are unaccountable and will not provide details in respect of their budgetary affairs to properly constituted Oireachtas committees. Some in the universities are running riot while seeking to look after themselves and now the Government is proposing to tax the very people who require to be retrained. More than 40,000 students are currently attending plc colleges and the Government is proposing to impose a tax on entry of €200 per head on those who, having lost their jobs, are seeking to enter these institutions in order to try to improve their job prospects. Neither adequate nor proper consideration has been given to what is being proposed.

The Government proposes to tax people on the lowest rung in society who are paid the least. In that context, I wish to read into the record a letter I received from a constituent. All Deputies receive letters of this nature, but the one which was sent to me is exceptional. It was written by a man who is in his nineties and whose wife is also in her nineties. The letter states:

When I pay the State and the home [which his wife is in] I have nothing left at the end of each month. I live on my own, partly disabled, with the prospects of continued misery.

As already stated, the letter from which I am quoting was written by a man in his nineties who is in a state of despair regarding the way he is being treated and the way in which his wife is being treated in the nursing home in which she resides. There is no doubt that these people are being treated in a shameful and disgraceful manner. I accept that the Government put the fair deal scheme in place. However, the man and woman to whom I refer are being obliged to pay additional charges in respect of occasional concerts, baking demonstrations, flower arranging and mass. These people are being charged for things to which they should be automatically entitled or of which they will never be in a position to avail.

That which I have outlined is happening because the Government has allowed those who operate nursing homes, employees of State bodies and the chief executive officers of organisations such as Coillte to pay themselves enormous sums - in some cases up to €500,000 per year. The head of the Dublin Airport Authority is paid €750,000 per year. Despite this, the Government expects ordinary people to take it in the neck. That will not happen. The Government will be rejected by the electorate and will never be in a position to implement the national recovery plan, which is fundamentally wrong in respect of certain core issues.

See this speech in context