Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

I agree with the trade union emphasis that we must tighten up on employment standards and inspections. To afford confidence in the system we must have better enforcement.

Opposition research offices often give the impression that nothing is happening on infrastructure. There has never been so much improvement with the investment that is taking place. I hope they will find ways to give new wind to the social and affordable housing initiative. While it was a good initiative, I am afraid the builders succeeded in heading it off at the pass. I do not believe it should be let rest there.

I welcome the more egalitarian tax system that we will get. It is discussed in the three-volume report that has just been circulated.

I do not approve of the sort of public service bashing that takes place at regular intervals, particularly by those who are not in any way a part of it. Public service is as high a value as competition. It is not always the case that more competition results in more public welfare. I have grave doubts, for example, about the so-called attempts to bring competition into electricity generation. I am not at all sure that we would not be better off with the ESB because if we are introducing competition, prices have to be raised to allow people to make profits and so on. Competition can lead to higher rather than lower prices.

People talked about more targets for the public service. New Labour in Britain got into those targets right across the public service but if we do that we will need many bureaucrats to administer and monitor it. We also get artificial statistics. I was across the water yesterday and somebody said to me that Government statistics cannot be believed because they have to be manipulated to produce particular results.