Liam Twomey (Fine Gael)

We will wait for the rest of the Ministers to line up.

The conditions and pay of Ministers have been enhanced considerably over the past eight years and they are out of touch with ordinary people. The budget has this written all over it. It is not fair and the Government was out to hammer people for whatever it could get out of them. It is a disgrace.

How does the budget seek to secure the gains that have been made? The Minister of State admitted there is a lack of flexibility in the public service and said this would have to change but how will that happen? The Minister for Finance did not bother getting around to it yesterday nor did his predecessor in previous years. The decentralisation programme is dead, other than where contracts are agreed. However, it is feared large, empty buildings will be scattered across towns throughout the State, for which the Minster of State is responsible.