Mary White (Fianna Fail)

Our priority should be to be loved to give us security. When we started our business at a time of high unemployment I saw the transformation in a few months in those who had been unemployed and then got a job. Their self-confidence and self-esteem grew. As the doctor in the House will know, when a person has self-confidence and self-esteem, his or her physical health improves as well. The Government's priority should be to look after existing businesses and keep people in employment. If I were a Minister, my priority would be to keep people in employment and create further employment. Approximately 450,000 people are unemployed at the moment and it will grow in coming months. However, I believe it will peter out thereafter and by the middle of next year the economy will begin to turn around. Economies are cyclical and go up and down.

In last autumn's budget the Government failed to bite the bullet of public sector reform, which disappointed many people. We need to get value for money from the public sector. The services provided by the public service are paid for by taxpayers' money. The taxpayers are entitled to value for their taxes. They want to see a good return on how the Government spends that money. The Government needs to bite the bullet and increase efficiency in the delivery of the services. While I do not want to labour the point, as I have said in the House many times €14.5 billion is spent annually on the HSE. While there have been improvements in some aspects of the HSE, fundamentally it is overstaffed and I would love to know the breakdown of where the €14.5 billion is spent. I would like to know the detail of where the €1.5 billion on mental health is being spent.

Those in the private sector are under severe pressure morning, noon and night to sustain their businesses. If they can keep their businesses going, people can keep their jobs. I worked in the public sector on two occasions for different durations of time. I know from that experience that the people working in that sector are outstanding but in my time there I never saw the good management practices that I experienced from working in private business. The people in the public sector are aching for good management and they want to feel good about where they work. The people who worked in my immediate circle in the public sector were frustrated because systems were not working properly. The Government has to bite the bullet and take on the issue of public sector reform.

The cost of electricity to industry is another matter that has annoyed me during the past 18 months. A Central Bank quarterly report a year an a half ago indicated that our electricity costs to industry were 34.4% above the EU average. I do not know how many times I raised that point in this House and tried to get it on the radar. It is the job of Government not to let such costs escalate such that we lose our economic competitiveness, which we no doubt have. Most indigenous companies deal with the UK and they have had to hang in there and cope with the sterling-euro exchange rate. Those in business who survived the impact of that exchange rate differential will do well as it is beginning to rectify itself now. The multinationals tend to deal with countries beyond the UK. They are engaged in a different ball game and they are holding on to their business.

Seán Lemass, a forum in whose name I attended the other day, and Dr. Whitaker, as a team had a sense of magic about the Irish economy. They turned it around from an inward looking, protectionist economy. I sat my leaving certificate in 1962 and I recall I had a mantra in my head, buntáistí and míbhuntáistí an chómhargadh. When there was a drive for Ireland to join the EU, buntáistí and míbhuntáistí an chómhargadh came up as a question in the intermediate certificate and leaving certificate. That was driven from the top by the political leadership of Seán Lemass and Dr. Whitaker. I want to see a spark and a touch of magic about the political leadership in the country to inspire the people who are holding on to their jobs that we will come out of the recession.

I was heartened when the Tánaiste, Deputy Coughlan, said at a trade and industry policy meeting two evenings ago that we are going to focus on the unemployed. My heart lifted when I heard her say that. People need a job. They need to have a place to go every day, they need money to pay their way, including paying their mortgage, and they need to interact socially with people. The bottom line is that I am glad the Tánaiste clearly said she will ensure we will look after the 450,000 who are unemployed. That is what political leadership is about.

I am waiting for a spark of magic to get this economy going and to lift the spirits of the people of Ireland. Political leadership is about lifting people's hearts and spirits and having a vision for the country in terms of where it is going.