Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

Today's edition of The Irish Times contains a copy of the Government's framework document on economic renewal. It has been raised several times in the Dáil and the Seanad that when they returned, they both had a general debate on the future of the economy without the Government outlining any of its plans, policies or details. Very little thought was given to the role of the Dáil and the Seanad in handling this crisis. This week it is clearer than ever that social partnership has replaced democracy. It does not have to be one or the other; it can be both. The Government will have to give some thought to the role of the Dáil, the Seanad and our democracy, alongside the role of social partnership, because what happened this week was not good enough.