Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)

Later today the Government is set to announce the slashing of a further 14,500 staff from the public service. Has the Tánaiste, or the Government, given any consideration to the impact these cuts will have on frontline services which, as we speak, are already under immense pressure? Has the Tánaiste considered that his agenda, rather than delivering public service reform, will create a public service slum in this State?

When the Tánaiste came into office he pledged that the choices his Government would make would be fair. What we have seen is, on the one hand, 14,500 jobs to go, adding to the 450,000 people on the dole and, on the other hand, another senior civil servant about to walk away with a pension of €114,000 and a lump sum of €204,000. Where is the fairness in that?

We have already seen the scandal in which more than €8 million of taxpayers' money goes to the pensions of former Ministers, many of whom, such as the former leader of the Tánaiste's party, Dick Spring, are still in employment. We see the cronyism of the last Government continue. Twenty people with affiliations to Fine Gael or the Labour Party have been appointed to State boards since the Government took office. Five of the six judges appointed by Government on the Tánaiste's watch have political affiliations to Fine Gael or the Labour Party.

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