Alex White (Labour)

The kind of political reform we need goes a lot deeper than the suggestions that have been made. In the last few days, the Government's handling of the fiasco over long-service increments — I know some Members will have sensitivities about it — has exposed politicians and the political system yet again to the charge that we are living in a parallel universe. We are living in a different place compared to most people in this country at the moment. I met somebody yesterday who told me his entire family, including his sons, daughters and sons-in-law, have lost their jobs. There was not a single person in his extended family who currently has a job.

The issue is whether we are part of the solution or part of the problem. We are seen by increasing numbers of our fellow citizens as part of the problem, not the solution. I do not say this in any sense from a lack of respect for this House or the Lower House, but until we wake up to that fact we will be losing public respect because we are simply not relevant. Unfortunately, these Houses are proving themselves to be largely irrelevant to people's daily concerns. We have an economic system that is in crisis but we also have a political system in crisis because it is not responding. Professor Ray Kinsella made that point again this morning and he is absolutely right — the political system is broken. It is not enough for us to talk about longer sitting hours or all the various laudable suggestions that have been made on how we might reform our business, it goes much deeper than that. I agree with Professor Kinsella's point that the divisions between political parties are increasingly obsolete in terms of stepping up to the plate and presenting options to the public for solving our problems. One often hears the argument that political parties need to come together and there is a case for that on some issues. I heard Senator Boyle calling for that on the banking issue, but we also have a duty to present alternatives to the Irish people — genuinely different positions that we can argue about in these Houses. It is not a question of one side standing up and the other disagreeing for the sake of it, but of genuinely teasing out these issues. I regret to say, however, that is not happening in this Parliament. We should have a debate on the wider issue of political reform, so I ask the Leader to arrange that.

There was one chink of light in the budget concerning child care.