Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

We are in a shambolic situation. In less than 36 hours' time, 5,300 enumerators are due to be paid for the field work they did in conducting the census. That money will have to be in their bank accounts by Friday, according to the Minister of State's note, which means it must be transferred at five minutes after midnight on Thursday night if it is being done by electronic transfer. It would be illegal for anybody in the payroll section of the CSO to press the button to arrange those transfers before the Dáil approves the Estimate today. The Minister of State has brought this to the wire and has shown a complete disregard for public servants. There are less than 36 hours to ensure these people are paid, and they will not be if this Estimate is not approved. That is why I support the motion. This is an example of incompetent management.

Today will go down as an historic day because it is the day the Government has been found out. We have seen the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance walking away from the negotiations on a 1% reduction in the interest rate on the EU-IMF deal. That is their handling of the macro debate. In regard to the micro debate, the Government has shown contempt for public servants, for the Estimates process and for the Dáil by not ensuring this particular Estimate was agreed sooner. The Minister of State is doing a fire brigade job today with only 36 hours left.

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