Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

No, it was beyond Castledermot at Moone after the straight stretch. I did not know whether an accident had occurred but it transpired roadworks were the cause. My passenger was amazed it had not occurred to an official in the county council that traffic would be greatly increased on a bank holiday weekend and that the roadworks should be postponed until a more suitable day. If one makes such mistakes in the private sector one tends not to be allowed repeat them. However, such discipline does not exist in the public sector and I believe this should be examined.

The increased expenditure we are discussing has come from enhanced resources. Those resources come from a stronger level of activity which was led by difficult, far-reaching decisions made by Government, pursued by dedicated officials in the public service and greatly assisted by enterprising people in the private sector. Many of these resources derive from the property sector and we have become dependent on the construction industry. There seems to be something of a slowdown in that sector at present, especially regarding the sale of houses, and I compliment the Minister on making certain concessions on stamp duty for first-time buyers in recent years. I would like to think this policy will be extended and that those buying above a threshold will pay stamp duty at the higher rate only on the excess above that threshold. A great deal of revenue comes to the Exchequer from the sale of a house to a first-time buyer through income tax on the workers involved, stamp duty on the purchase of the house and value added tax on furnishings and so on. This area, therefore, should be considered for change.

I have mentioned value for money and I feel it is a huge issue in the public sector which should be prioritised by Government. My experience in business makes me think some €4 billion to €5 billion is being spent unnecessarily which if stopped would not affect quality of service. It may not all be waste, but some of it is and the area should be examined.

People in business will attest that the Irish worker, long recognised as committed and dedicated, may be starting to reflect their counterparts in Germany where people, as they became more affluent, did not wish to work long hours or as hard as they did in the past. They sought to enjoy the fruits of their labour. In some sectors employers are not certain Irish workers will turn up for work on Monday mornings, do overtime or work on Friday afternoons. No such difficulties arise with Polish employees. A campaign should be introduced to inform people throughout the public and private sectors that hard work and commitment delivered economic success and that these qualities remain priorities in times of affluence.