Alex White (Labour)

I remind colleagues, including Senator Quinn, that the Labour Party does not order the business in this House, that is a matter for the Leader.

While I have no objection to having a debate on the budget tomorrow or any other day, we have probably the same likelihood of being listened to on the budget as we have on the issue of gift vouchers, that is, somewhere approaching zero. However, if there is to be a debate, let us have it. At the risk of returning to what is sometimes described as "navel gazing" on our part in the Chamber, it again raises the issue of the farce we have had in the House in recent weeks. There have been calls for Opposition Members to come in and bring forward their budgetary proposals in order that they might be listened to and that the Government side can respond. There has been a parade of so-called debates on the budget in the past six weeks which, in fact, do not constitute debates.

Senator Fitzgerald quoted from an article in The Irish Times today. The newspaper contains another interesting piece by Ms Elaine Byrne on the question of what the Parliament is doing and its role in the budgetary process which approaches nil. Ms Byrne describes what will happen in the other House tomorrow as a theatrical exercise in parliamentary voting fodder. She is correct. If the Dáil is being rendered irrelevant regarding the budget, what can we say about this House? What expectations do we have for ourselves as politicians that we can make any difference to the future of the country when there is no serious attempt to ensure scrutiny of budgetary matters in this House or the Government does not provide for a proper debate or engage with Members of both Houses? It is no wonder people see the Houses of Parliament as amounting to no more than an opportunity for Members to vent a particular prejudice such as whether they are against or in favour of the public service. That is what the House has been reduced by the actions of the Government in failing to engage with Members on the budget. In the past 24 hours there has been leak after leak, which is the manner in which the budget is being communicated to the people. The Government wants to see where the lines of resistance are through the media, write the final speech and then announce the budget in the Dáil tomorrow. I am sorry if I sound cynical about debates in this House. As the Leader knows, every time there is a debate I participate in it and have no difficulty in doing so. However, such debates are not taken seriously. It is a case of the emperor's clothes, in terms of this and the other Chamber because people are starting to wonder what is the point.