Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We are, in effect, in committee when debating the Revised Estimates and, as such, I expect a back-and-forth engagement with the Ministers of State during the five minutes available to me. I want to make the point again and send a clear signal to the Government that the way some of the business in this House is conducted is not acceptable and is showing disregard to the Dáil and to Members. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform should be here for this discussion. It is standard practice that it is the Minister who brings forward Estimates. With no disrespect to the Ministers of State, they are not responsible for the vast amount of the Estimates that are being put forward here. We had the Tánaiste not turning up for legislation last night. We had the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform leaving after 30 minutes of Question Time. We had the Minister for Finance not turning up for legislation last week, which meant the Dáil had to be suspended. That has to stop and we must send a clear signal in this regard. The Ceann Comhairle needs to intervene if this is the way Ministers think they are going to treat the Members who are in here representing the public in their constituencies. Ministers must start attending the relevant business. If there is a scheduling issue with committees or subcommittees, that issue will have to be dealt with.

My main question for the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, is whether he can confirm that a memorandum went to Cabinet to approve a €16,288 increase for a Minister of State who is already receiving a salary of €124,439. I ask him to answer that question first.

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