Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I am appalled and outraged at the media comment attributed to this House yesterday and in today's newspapers. The approach is symptomatic of the manner in which the Government is running the country, namely, arrogant, out of touch and it does not care. What message does this send out to, for instance, the woman I met yesterday who, despite having sent out 150 curriculum vitae's since the first Friday in January, has received no replies or interviews; the two people paying a mortgage of €1,600 per month, both of whom have lost their jobs and are graduates of University College Cork; to the parents of a special need child whose home help hours have been cut or to the small and medium enterprises struggling to get credit?

This House should sit on Tuesdays and should hold Ministers to account. If the Leader cannot do his job, he should resign and let others do the job. Go Leader, resign and let us debate issues of interest to the people. I am appalled to have been contacted yesterday and today by journalists asking me how my game of golf went. We are working on behalf of the people. All of us are here to represent the people. It is about time we put people first. I do not know the reason the House did not sit yesterday. I accept there may be days on which we have no legislation. Is there a lack of legislation coming from Government? We are here to represent the people. This is the Upper House of Parliament and we are the people's representatives and must be their voice. We need answers. Also, we must hold Ministers to account. The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment has not once since taking up that position come to this House to debate the issues of job creation or unemployment. The Minister was in the House last week, although on a different matter. We need answers on behalf of the people who are suffering, not pious platitudes.