Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

As a small, open economy, there is considerable leakage to the benefit of other economies. Our public finances are at full stretch.

The Fine Gael Party argues that our borrowing level is too high and should be lowered. Some of the criticism vis-À-vis attitudes to the public sector is that it has appeared that the entire weight of that further reduction in borrowing is to be borne by even more drastic public service reform. There are different voices on the subject of social partnership. For example, Senator Buttimer stated in this House, in ways with which I can fully identify, that he supports social partnership. However, I took part in a programme with Deputy Varadkar who said on air that social partnership should be scrapped.