Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for attending the House. I will be very brief. In his fine address, Senator Butler has made a good case for indicting the Government on its financial record. If we take management of the public finances as a litmus test, the Government has failed no matter which way one looks at it. Senator Butler referred to blowing the boom but this must be taken in two parts. Part one involved the huge expenditure on public services and infrastructure. We welcome the level of investment on infrastructure but we have missed the fundamental points of making the country competitive again, including by upgrading broadband services. Part two is that we have maligned our public servants by introducing a pension levy, thus making them pay for bad government.

With respect to the Minister, the abolition of the Christmas bonus was a very bad decision. It told the most vulnerable people that they must pay the price for bad management of the economy. It might be a small sum in the overall pot, but when I go out knocking on doors I meet people who are incensed by this measure. They are ordinary decent people who, irrespective of politics, are under pressure, struggling and worried about next Christmas. Leaving politics alone, I appeal to the Minister to restore the Christmas bonus for ordinary genuine Cork people in Togher, Bishopstown and Wilton where I have been canvassing for the past three months.

Senators Butler and Twomey are right about small and medium enterprises being squeezed by the banks. They are squeezing people who are providing employment and trying to keep the economy moving. It is crazy to do so. I have heard of banks putting pressure on business people by letter, refusing credit and almost taking the keys of business premises. It is wrong and it should not be happening. I know the Minister is working on this but we need our banks to support small and medium enterprises, which are the lifeblood of the economy. They will not walk away if they get fair play from the banks.

As an educationalist, I believe the Minister has got it wrong regarding the pension levy. Never in the history of the State has middle-income Ireland been put under such pressure. Tá siad go léir faoi bhrú. They are under pressure. I know of countless families who will be under enormous financial pressure when they get their pay cheques this month. Couples bought property during the boom when both partners had jobs, but one job may now be gone or under pressure. We can no longer allow an unfair and unbalanced pension levy to affect those on middle incomes. The levy should be reviewed and changed.

The Opposition has put forward numerous proposals through Deputies Richard Bruton and Kieran O'Donnell and in this House from Senator Liam Twomey. We need to get rid of inefficiencies in our economy thus keeping costs down to restore competitiveness. The Minister might be surprised that last week I complimented him on his tour of Europe on the bond issue. He will get credit from some of us on this side of the House for what he does right, if it works, but there are question marks about NAMA. Neither Dr. Somers nor the Minister has provided the complete picture to people. Eliminating inefficiencies in our economy must be through strong regulation and good governance which we have not had from the Minister's predecessors. He may be an unfortunate victim to be in the position at this time but the best option available to us is to put the budget to the people through a general election and let the people give the next Government a mandate to govern. That is what the people really want.