Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

If the Government had not wasted so much money in the past few years and had managed the economy properly it could now be introducing major tax cuts. Unfortunately, this Government does not seem to realise that money squandered could be tallied with the benefits which it could give to taxpayers, and the improved public services it could fund. Up to €0.5 billion has been spent on the Dublin Port tunnel and the roof is still leaking.

I accept more people have returned to work, but that puts great pressure on the Government to provide better facilities for people. If we go out of our way to encourage more women back into the workforce it is obvious and logical that we must improve child care facilities. The Government has taken steps in that direction but in many cases too late and too slowly.

I came to the House today to speak in particular about the Comerama issue. I am disappointed that in the Finance Bill the Government missed a unique opportunity to rectify a wrong done a number of years ago when the Comerama factory closed. The workers were promised by the Tánaiste and then Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Harney, that the new, enhanced redundancy package would apply to them. That was witnessed by Government Deputies as well as by the Opposition. The Finance Bill could rectify the matter but the Government has missed its chance.

I have attended many public meetings in Castlecomer and public demonstrations outside the gates of Leinster House. Deputies McGuinness, Nolan and others have also attended. The Government had the opportunity to rectify the matter but has flunked it. An amendment could have been tabled on Committee Stage of the Finance Bill. Deputies McGuinness and Nolan are members of the Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service and it is regrettable they did not take the opportunity to table a Government amendment to rectify the wrongdoing.

Ordinary workers in the Castlecomer area are down about €10,000. If they had known they could not avail of the enhanced redundancy package they could have continued working for one extra day per week, and that would have got them into the time period for the new package. Only a small number of workers are involved.

It is disgraceful that a Government could be so arrogant. Many crocodile tears have been shed by Government Deputies. Even Fianna Fáil Deputies said it was the fault of the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, and that when a Fianna Fáil Minister came into the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment everything would change. What happened was that the Fianna Fáil Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, did not acknowledge letters from the group. That is an indication of the arrogance. After the party had a bad result in the local elections in the Castlecomer area one would imagine it would have learned a lesson. The outgoing Fianna Fáil councillor was blamed and unfortunately lost his seat. The Government still does not listen. It had an opportunity in the Finance Bill to table an amendment to rectify the wrongdoing but did not do so.

Will the Minister of State give an indication, for example, in next year's Finance Bill, that the Government would support an amendment? While the House can table a recommendation it is weak in the sense that it cannot amend a money Bill. Perhaps Senator John Paul Phelan and I will table a recommendation from this side of the House and ask the Minister to look at that particular aspect with a view to rectifying the position. Ordinary workers in the Castlecomer area are down €10,000 on a redundancy package. Some of the workers involved received the enhanced redundancy package because they continued to work. The reason they left early was to save a sister plant in Donegal for which they got no reward but were in fact penalised.

We continue to hear from the Government of the huge amount of money in the economy. This problem could be solved with a small amount of money. Some years ago the Tánaiste took a keen interest in the National Sweepstakes and rectified a wrong. This case is similar.

When replying to the debate I ask the Minister to indicate whether his party has learned anything from the local elections? His party is acutely aware of it, given that it cost the PDs a seat in the local elections in Kilkenny. A relation of the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, stood for the party. Were it not for that issue he would have been elected. Will the Minister of State clarify whether it is intended to address that issue in the Finance Bill and explain why the Government did not avail of the unique opportunity to do so when the Bill was going through Committee Stage in the other House?