Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I support the calls made by my colleagues for an urgent debate on agriculture. The agricultural community has faced enormous financial pressures for some time but the measures proposed in the budget, including the removal of the farm installation grant and the farm retirement pension, represent an especially bitter blow to young farmers and their parents. We know of many cases from our constituencies of people who were on the threshold of applying for the schemes but who now find that their financial prospects have been entirely changed by the cuts. A debate on agriculture is urgently required.

Calls were made on yesterday's Order of Business for a robust debate on the economy. This would provide us with an opportunity to hear ideas on turning around the economy and to make suggestions which the Government might take on board. Several speakers referred to the public service. We all recognise the necessity for reform and a certain degree of financial restraint in the public service. Perhaps we can hold a series of debates on the economy between now and Christmas so that problems can be raised and solutions proposed. While we should focus our attention on the public service, we should also recognise that public servants include the staff and Members of the Oireachtas, the gardaí on the streets outside Leinster House, the soldiers serving overseas in Chad, our nurses and our teachers. Public servants are good people and we have a good public service in this country, although it needs reform. In the current economic climate, we all recognise that savings and sacrifices will have to be made.

A realistic debate is needed on the economy, beginning with the public service given that it consumes — and rightly so — an enormous proportion of the budget. Any service which uses so much taxpayer money can and should be examined with a view to reforms. The document published by Deputy Richard Bruton in advance of the budget should be explored as part of our debate because he has outlined many good ideas which deserve to be fleshed out in this House.