Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

The problem with questions to the Taoiseach is that the lead-in time before they are answered is so long that the answers to which the Taoiseach deliberately confines himself are out of date. For example, he could have taken the opportunity to apprise us of what Cabinet sub-committee meetings have taken place since the date in the question. In the past month we have heard about only one Cabinet sub-committee, the Economic Management Council. What precisely is the role of this council, made up of four members of the Government, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the two finance Ministers? The national revolt by ordinary people against the water charges has finally brought home to the Government the reality of people’s anger, but the Government is no longer handling this issue. All we hear about is the Economic Management Council. In the unlamented ex-Stalinist states the old politburos did not have as much power apparently as the Economic Management Council has in this supposed Republic of Ireland.

Is the Taoiseach aware that members of the Government are now openly critical of what they see as a dictatorship within the Cabinet and a sidelining of the roles of other people? Before conducting her infamous political assassination in order to be Tánaiste, Deputy Burton was highly critical of this and the lack of democracy represented by the power wielded by the Economic Management Council. It seems as if for Deputy Burton democracy was simply to get herself elevated into the position because all we have heard since is absolute silence.

Would the Taoiseach accept this particular structure has meant the inner core of the Government has been and is even more out of touch with ordinary working class people, low and middle income earners and unemployed people than establishment Governments usually are and that the full Cabinet is out of touch as well, or it would, I hope, have advised him that this latest austerity tax on water would not be accepted and will be greeted by a massive boycott in January?

Does the Taoiseach accept the point that isolating all of these discussions to an inner cabal of four people inside the Cabinet is keeping him even more insulated from the very heartfelt feelings, anger and opposition, particularly to water charges, among ordinary people?

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