Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I would normally start by welcoming the opportunity to speak on an important occasion like this; although it is an occasion, it is not very important. I have studied the two documents and there is very little in front of us of real significance and relevance to people today.

The first document is the April 2015 update on Ireland's stability programme. The second document is the 2015 spring economic statement. Essentially, the two documents are the financial envelope to pay for the election promises of Fine Gael and Labour. The Government has never done this before. A moment ago, the Minister made virtue of saying that finances should not be dictated by the electoral cycle but that process has been invented today. We had similar documents last year and in previous years but because there is to be an election within 12 months, there is a set-piece today. Essentially, the Government is standing down the Dáil from its proper business for a week so we can discuss its financial envelope for the next general election. That is not an appropriate way to start this business. The Government has lectured others about spending money in electoral cycles but we have never seen the likes of this happening before.

People may ask about what we are talking and specifically what election promises have been made. These are promises that have been announced by Ministers in recent weeks or since the beginning of the year. That is excluding everything that has been in the newspapers for the past 48 hours. In the past two to three months, Ministers have promised more paid maternity or paternity leave, tax relief for landlords who agree not to increase rent and a free second year of child care, as well as tax reliefs and subsidies for child care. Another Minister promised to abolish the public sector pension levy, while others have indicated the introduction of a living wage and rates holidays for small start-up businesses. Yet another Minister has indicated the self-employed should be given the same jobseeker's allowance entitlements as people who are in the PAYE system. Ministers have spoken about the reduction of the universal social charge for self-employed people and bonus pay for couples if they split paternal leave. Ministers have spoken about the removal of the bank veto on personal insolvency arrangements, although there has been nothing about that today. Others have spoken about the return of the first-time buyers' grant, with Ministers - including those who spoke today - talking about increasing the bank levy to force banks to reduce variable interest rates.

These are the specific promises contained but not mentioned in today's financial envelope. These were mentioned even before the two most senior Ministers from a finance perspective came out with their list over the past few days of what they propose to do in order to buy the election in the next 12 months. The people of Ireland will see this for what it is. I know the Government might feel the people of Ireland should be more grateful for the reductions made in the top rate of tax last year or that it should be doing better in terms of public esteem. The Ministers might be disappointed that people are not thanking them on the street.

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