Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In respect of Deputy Adams's final question, I stated in my reply that the Government considered this. We made changes last year to the structures of Cabinet committees but one thing we did not change was the retention of the EMC. It is an important element of running government efficiently. It is not a government in itself. It is not only a way of focusing on the challenges we face but also a way of setting out the options for the Cabinet to consider and make decisions on.

The decisions that are the subject of valid discussion and accountability in the House were made by the Cabinet in respect of Irish Water and, in some cases, by the regulator which is independent in its duty. The value we see of having more than 600,000 meters installed is in allowing people to beat the cap but also in identifying 30,000 leaks that need to be fixed. The statistics in this regard were released earlier.

The banks will meet with the EMC in the next period and the Government will bring forward a number of changes to the mortgage regime in April. Nobody wants to see anybody lose a house where that is humanly possible and that is why we want the best range of options and opportunities for people to deal with this issue. A total of 100,000 have been sorted out successfully.

The taxation system is an issue for the budget and the Minister for Finance will consider all these issues. We expect that up to 500,000 people will be taken out of liability for the USC in the October budget if we can continue the progress made.

The spring economic statement will not be a general election document and it will not be a series of announcements about things that are happening. It will be an opportunity for the Dáil to discuss the financial position and economics of the country and, as both Deputies said, the direction we are headed and where we want to be in five years. Where we want to be is in a country with full employment, a well managed economy, jobs for everybody who wants one with the opportunity for people to come back home and powering ahead as an energetic, committed country where innovation and research change the frontiers ahead.

In 2013, there were quite a number of guillotines in the House. That was very much reduced last year. There were significant debates on Second and Committee Stages of the Water Services Bill 2014. The Government parties made decisions and they are accountable for them at Irish Water level.

In response to Deputy Martin finally, it is true that the late, lamented Minister for Finance had begun to make a number of changes. He said to me on a number of occasions that he was finding it difficult to have the then Government respond to the alarm soundings he was putting out there. Clearly, the catastrophic decisions made by that Government at the time were indicative of parties being unable to talk to each other. It came to the point where Ministers resigned from Government and others could not be appointed to particular portfolios. Deputy Martin decided to leave himself in the middle of all of that.

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