Seanad debates

Tuesday, 18 February 2003

Finance and Related Matters: Statements.

 

The best example of this is the way that the SSIAs were approached by those commentators heard on radio at 7.55 a.m. These people would have real difficulty with the Government spending €20 million more on BreastCheck to make it a nationwide service and would happily condemn any increase in public expenditure to improve public services. However, none of them has any difficulty with the SSIA scheme which will take €500 million per year for the next five years out of the country's tax base. Members can only imagine what could have been done with that money had we not taken that course, or what we could do if we were to try to recover some of it. Not one of these commentators – I challenge anyone to tell me otherwise – has ever said anything remotely critical about the scheme for the simple reason that the institutions and organisations for which they work are busily involved in selling products that depend on the scheme for money and profits. It is important that we realise, when they talk to Ms Geraldine Harney on the radio at 7.55 a.m., from where these people are coming, at least regarding public expenditure.

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