Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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15. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to certify in 2017 that the financial emergency still exists in order to retain the FEMPI legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10501/17]

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I was wondering if the Minister is going anywhere nice for St. Patrick's Day and if, when he is away, he will be doing some public expenditure exercises. Will he be thinking about the public sector worker who have been hurt very badly by the FEMPI legislation, and whether he will renew that legislation in June? After all, when we get back after the St. Patrick's Day break there are only about two months including the Easter break for the Minister to make a decision on whether the financial emergency legislation will be reinstated.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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Time is limited. The Minister does not have to answer the question about St. Patrick's Day but he should attempt to answer the question about FEMPI. The Minister should be brief.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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You allowed time to Deputy Smith to put her point, Acting Chairman. When I am abroad I will be representing the country on St. Patrick's Day.

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Where is the Minister off to?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I will be doing my best to represent the interests of citizens. I will be in Japan and Korea, but it does not matter where I am, I am always aware of the commitments I have. I am also aware of the commitments I have to those who work in public services and who have undergone tremendous changes in their circumstances to allow the economy and country to get to this point.

A legal commitment is laid out as part of a process in regard to the FEMPI Act which requires its renewal - or not - to be laid before the Oireachtas by the end of June each year. In doing so I must have "regard to the overall economic conditions in the State and national competitiveness" and the "revenues of the State and State commitments in respect of public service pay and pensions". My last review was informed by the instability in the international economy, the still fragile nature of our economic recovery, the level of our debt, the need to borrow and the obligation to comply with the Stability and Growth Pact. To date, none of those factors have lessened appreciably, while the risks of international economic instability have, if anything, increased.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy should be very brief as we are eating into the time for Topical Issues.

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I think the Minister is a bit out on his own on this one because all of the other Ministers, including the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Education and Skills and the Minister for Health have declared there is no more financial emergency, that we are in recovery and that the money is there to be spent. The possible future leader of Fine Gael, Deputy Simon Coveney, in particular keeps telling us there is no shortage of money to deal with the housing crisis. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, seems to be the only Minister who believes we are still in a financial emergency and, therefore, he wants to hold onto the FEMPI legislation. If he is the only one who believes it then perhaps he should stay in Korea or Japan because he is on his own in this Parliament in believing it. All the other Ministers say the emergency is over.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy and her group appear to be displaying what I can only call an unhealthy degree of interest in the potential leadership of this party. My interest is in representing the interests of those who work in the public services while balancing that against the other service needs of the country. Far be it from me to be out on my own: every day Deputy Bríd Smith comes to the House she points to the different levels of emergency in regard to the delivery of public services. She points every day to the needs we have in housing, hospitals, schools and our ability to recruit and retain those who work in public services. That is the point she makes every day. What I need to do is balance the level of need against the wage needs of those in the public service. All of my Cabinet colleagues are aware that we must maintain order in terms of how we structure public pay. I look forward to coming back from my work representing the country abroad and continuing to point out the inconsistency in the Deputy's argument in terms of coming into the House seeking more investment in services and at the same time-----

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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So the Minister still believes we are in a financial emergency and he will retain the FEMPI legislation.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Smith should allow the Minister to speak without interruption.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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-----asking me not to maintain the kind of order we have in terms of public wages to allow services to improve.

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I got the answer I wanted. The Minister will reinstate the FEMPI legislation.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Bríd Smith should please address the Chair. There should be no shouting across at people when they are trying to answer a question.