Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

Tá áthas orm sin a chloisint. Sin dea-scéala. Before speaking on the motion, my colleague, an tAire Talmhaíochta, Iascaigh agus Bia, an Teachta Brendan Smith, has asked me to extend his personal apologises for not being in a position to participate in this debate. As Members will know, the Minister, Deputy Smith, is in the United States, fulfilling a long-standing commitment with Enterprise Ireland to promote Ireland's food investment and innovation strategy. Knowing that he would be away this week, he offered to come into the House on Tuesday next, on the eve of a very important Council of Agriculture Ministers meeting, to facilitate the debate. Notwithstanding his absence, I assure the Cathaoirleach and Members of the House that he is following closely this evening's proceedings.

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I thank Senators Bradford, John Paul Phelan and Carty for their contributions and look forward to hearing the contributions of Senator O'Toole and other Senators in due course. I believe that everyone in this House at least appreciates the extent and depth of the current global financial turmoil. In 2009 we expect to have to borrow €37 million per day, which is not an inconsiderable sum. I hope that the understanding of that will help us to come to terms, to some extent, with budget 2009 and the expenditure Estimates, which were prepared in unprecedented circumstances having regard to the need to restore stability to the public finances. It is far more than a rocky patch, as Senator John Paul Phelan described it, and very difficult choices had to be made. The Minister, Deputy Smith, I and the Government generally are acutely aware that having to make choices inevitably would create difficulties with which all of us have to come to terms.

However, we are convinced that the best interests of the economy and the country are served by the type of decisive, corrective action we have taken. The Government and the country must be resilient in the face of global difficulties. Difficult decisions on public expenditure levels generally were therefore necessary and the agriculture sector had to bear a proportionate — I hope Members will understand it is a proportionate — amount of the burden.