Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)

I have the utmost respect for the Civil Service and public servants generally. However, there must be accountability when mistakes are made - when an accountancy error to the tune of 2.3% of GDP is made. I make no apology for calling to account very senior civil servants on very big pay packages with very generous pension entitlements to give an account through the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach as the Heads of Government. I find it rather puzzling that the Tánaiste would make a statement such as he did. I understood his Government was to herald a new dawn of accountability at the most senior levels. I will not apologise for naming the NTMA big rollers, and if I have the opportunity and their names I will read them into the record of the Dáil, because these people are paid through the public purse and need to be accountable to the House.

The accountancy error of €3.6 billion, which the Tánaiste finds so unacceptable, does, as the Tánaiste correctly said, adjust the debt burden down by 2.3% of GDP. What implication will this have for the upcoming budget? This represents an improved scenario in terms of our debt burden and I am sure it has an implication in terms of interest repayments and debt servicing. Can the people of this country expect, after the uncovering of this unacceptable accountancy blunder, that the Government might relieve them of some of the harshest cuts it is clearly planning to introduce in a short few weeks?

See this speech in context