Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)

It failed miserably. I thought the Minister of State, Deputy Kelleher, would make a change on this. He said he would tackle it. On many occasions during Question Time, we discussed red tape, insurance costs, banking charges, telecommunications and PRSI, all of which are heaped onto businesses. All of these costs were discussed with promises to cut them by 25%, but it never happened. The four year plan contains more wishy-washy statements about tackling competitiveness, while all the Government is doing is driving down the minimum wage. Fine Gael presented an alternative option - if the Government really wanted to reduce business costs while protecting employees, it should be done by reducing PRSI. It is the same difference because it reduces the cost to business of employing staff. Seemingly, that is what the Government wanted to do, but I do not believe it.

In other budgetary measures, the Government proved that it comprises a mean bunch of people. Who else would go after a blind person or hit carers, another group the Government failed to address during the good times? The same logic flows from the minimum wage cut, which is a mean attempt to take money from people at the lowest end of the jobs market. They do not have much money, yet they are working in some of the toughest jobs: behind a bar or in a restaurant, working weekends, as well as split shifts and double shifts, just to make a living. Nonetheless, they get whacked by this Government at the last minute. It is very wrong.

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