Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on the recent OECD report which highlighted the high salaries in the public service. There are also high salaries in the private sector. For the past 12 months I have felt that we must collectively resolve the question of the inflated salaries and wages being paid throughout society. If we try to protect them, as trade unions appear to be doing, the outcome for the economy and for everyone will be so disastrous it does not bear thinking about. When the International Monetary Fund assisted the Latvian Government when it was on the verge of bankruptcy, the IMF imposed a condition that public service salaries should be reduced by 35%. Trade unions, which appear to be gearing up for a period of unrest, could destabilise the economy. No one in the public service or anywhere else will thank the unions when the IMF comes and sees that our salaries are between 30% and 40% higher than those in the rest of Europe and says that unless a correction is made we will not get money from the fund. We could be faced with this within the next 12 months.

Yesterday, comments were made about politicians picking up messages while campaigning for the Lisbon treaty. I heard one clear message while campaigning. It was that people want politicians of all creeds to get together and tackle, in a cohesive way, the serious problems which the country and they as individuals are facing. We owe it to people to do that. We did it for the Lisbon treaty campaign. We need to do it in this instance as well.

I commend Senator MacSharry on his call for a debate on a very difficult social issue which is pending and will increase. We must have some scheme to deal with those who will find themselves unable to meet mortgage repayments on their homes. It behoves us to look at this matter. Senator MacSharry has done a good paper on this issue, which he will circulate. I hope the programme for Government will focus on such major issues as this.

To those who are preoccupied with the headlines of expenses, I say the issue of expenses will be dealt with but I am not sure if they will be happy with how they are dealt with. The country is going down the Swanee, fiscally and economically. Unless we all put our shoulders to the wheel we will live to regret it and we will not be thanked.