Eoghan Harris (Independent)

I refer to paragraph (xi) which states: "to take all necessary steps to prevent a recurrence of the conditions that brought about the financial crisis". The Minister has a letter from the Frontline Alliance. I have just come from the streets. I walked passed them, and most of them recognised me. I am one of their strongest critics but what struck me was the lack of rancour, the discipline and the decency with which they conducted that march.

The Minister has spoken eloquently to me in the past about his admiration for the public sector. In terms of the least we might do out of this crisis, we are now having to ask the front line people in the public sector to give back some of the inflated benchmarking agreements that were made in the bubble for which they were not responsible. That is a hard task. It has to be done, and I am not in any way reneguing from it. The public sector will have to take a cut but I believe the Minister and the House would join me in expressing the wish that the reward for this cut should be that we determine to reform the public sector, make it fit for purpose and create conditions which inspire enthusiasm, energy and a sense of career purpose in those who will work in a renewed and enthused public sector. I know this is the bottom of the well, so to speak, but out of all periods of recession come great reforms. I hope the Minister will consider, in his other capacity later, on foot of trying to ensure these conditions do not recur, what Senator Norris said this morning about the need to look after the people in the public sector and the private sector whose backs are against the wall and who are terrified in regard to negative equity, and to look after them in the workplace as well as those out of work. I do not want to do a Pollyanna on it but I believe the public sector is now having to carry some of the consequences from which its workers benefited but of which they were not the authors. The least we might do is give them a reformed public service that is fit for purpose.