Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I ask the Leader for a debate on this subject and on the broader issue referred to by the Senator concerning all of those who played their part, in their own way - many made the ultimate sacrifice - during the foundation of the State and in the creation of the democracy, freedom and independence which we enjoy.

Senator Donohoe and others referred to waste. I listened with interest to what was said with regard to Iarnród Éireann at the joint committee yesterday, and we have also had discussions in regard to FÁS in the not too distant past. I call for a debate in the House on the need for consideration of public sector reform. Whether one is in the private or public sector, elements of waste creep into the operations of business. In the private sector, they will tend to come under the microscope because of the pressures on margins, profits and the like, but this does not happen in the public sector and, as a consequence, the waste tends to become compounded rather than being eradicated. We should look to that issue.

People at middle and senior management level in the public sector are now very handsomely paid. The least the taxpayer who is funding this can expect is that performance is commensurate with the salaries such staff are enjoying. I ask that we have a debate where we hone in on this issue so that, where people are found not to be meeting their responsibilities, they would be held to account and, ultimately, their continuation in their jobs would be a consideration. Conservatively, I think somewhere in the region of €2 billion to €3 billion could be identified in savings. As Senator Twomey said, it would be a small percentage of the total required but, nonetheless, it is a start.