Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

The difficulty with the budget is that it does not provide solutions in respect of the major problems that will have a critical effect on the future of this country. The position with regard to waste has not been reformed and a job stimulus package has not been provided. A paltry 1,400 places will be provided on enterprise allowance schemes. What effect will this have on an economy that is losing 1,000 jobs per day? The budget does not offer a solution to difficulties in the third level sector. Instead, a reduction of €24 million is proposed. In addition, there will be a reduction of €30 million in the money allocated to the schools building programme. Furthermore, there will be a 17% reduction in REPS payments, which are central to farmers' incomes. It is a case of the Government relying on the "same old, same old" and taking the soft option of obliging middle income families to pay the State's debts.

I wish to counter what Senator Boyle stated. An average family with earnings amounting to €60,000 per annum will lost €4,600 as a consequence of the budget. That is a decline of 8%. I am concerned because there is little hope for homeowners. At a human level, how can taxpayers be expected to pay their personal debts if they will also be obliged, as a result of Fianna Fáil's mistakes, to pay the State's debts?