Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

We have asked the Government for report after report on these issues and the Minister to attend the House to discuss them, but we have not been briefed. No wonder the public has lost faith in the Government. If we do not have briefings as elected Members of this House and the Dáil, how can the public have faith in the processes and the way the Government is running the country?

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business in order that we can have the much called for debate on the economy today and that we can be briefed on these issues when it is reported in the newspapers that the social partners are being briefed. We need to integrate our work with that of social partnership if it is to survive these difficult times, a matter against which there is a big question mark.