Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

At the same time, the Minister will be driving down the public service pay bill by €500 million. How is this genius going to accomplish this miracle? The only way is by a race to the bottom, slashing public sector wages - which the Budget Statement reveals - outsourcing decent jobs, yellow-packing and driving down wages in the private sector. What is the result? There will be less money in people’s pockets and, accordingly, less money to be spent on services and so on.

The Government claims it will provide 30,000 social housing units. That is not a start. It is a fig leaf. It is bit like prescribing Panadol to somebody with two broken arms and legs who has also been shot in the head. The Panadol might relieve the headache for a minute but it will not solve the problem.

The problem is that the Government has taken billions of euro out of this economy, as had its predecessors. The Minister, Deputy Howlin, puts his chest out and talks about an education budget of €8.7 billion.

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