Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As a country we need to realise we are spending far more than we can afford and there is a need for us to bring about fiscal rectitude as quickly as possible. It can be achieved by either cutting spending or increasing taxes. I believe we still have significant scope for spending cuts and tax increases. These would be cuts that would not hurt the sick, the elderly and the disadvantaged and tax increases that would not have a deflationary effect on the economy and cost jobs. It has been said all the low-lying fruit has been picked. I believe much of it has not been picked and much more could be picked.

It is incredible that next year we plan to pay millions of euro in pay increases to higher earning public servants, particularly when some terrible cuts in services are being considered. It is wrong and needs to be re-examined.

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