Dan Boyle (Green Party)

I find my speeches read better in the arguments I make when they are constantly interrupted by Senator Buttimer. I constantly tell my constituents to read the Official Report on foot of that.

In moving the motion the main Opposition party appeared to be saying that a contribution must be made in acknowledging and contributing to the type of decisions that have to be made in the midst of what is the most serious economic crisis we have had in our history. I have stated that previously in this House. The motion does not go particularly far but it does go in the right direction. The sense I got in the opening contribution was that the economic position we find ourselves in is not all the Government's fault. We need a deeper analysis than that and more proactive approaches.

There are several proposals in the motion as to the changes that could be achieved. They all involve tax expenditures and we are in a position where we are trying to balance books. We have had a huge shortage in tax receipts. We have kept spending at the levels they have been elevated to for the past three years, and difficult decisions must be made as to how we redress that imbalance. I would welcome positive proposals in that regard.

We are also borrowing to a large extent not only to meet that shortfall but to engage in a capital stimulus to the same extent that exists in other countries. We spend more on capital programmes than any other European country.