Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

It seems that on a daily basis the Government is trying to take a step forward, but instead it is taking five steps backwards. It is not inspiring confidence in our economy and that is of great concern because the Government is in denial. We seem to be a little insulated from reality in this House and in the Lower House.

Will the Government seriously consider producing a detailed road map to find our way out of this economic crisis, with specific attention to fiscal policy and how we can redress the public finances. As Senator Donohoe stated, we need to outline specific areas such as taxation, borrowings, savings and finding efficiencies in our public service. These are the areas we need to debate and flesh out as the Upper House in this Parliament, and I ask the Leader to facilitate that. Competitiveness has gone down the tubes.