Dan Boyle (Green Party)

The House should at the earliest possible opportunity discuss the Budget Statement to be made tomorrow in the other House. It is important that the timing of the debate be such that it will allow this House to be heard to maximum effect. The tradition has been to speak on the budget on a Wednesday evening at a time which clashed with the speeches of Opposition speakers in the other House. Speaking on it early on Thursday morning would mean we would clash with the speeches of the party Leaders in the other House. The earliest opportunity outside these periods would be the correct time for the Seanad to have its voice heard. While I accept where Senator Alex White is coming from in terms of his own views on the matter, having such an opportunity will give the Seanad an opportunity to influence policy. We must remember that tomorrow the Budget Statement will be made and legislative effect to what will happens on foot of that statement through the Finance Bill will not be given until late January and early February. There is scope to contribute to that process, as the Seanad has shown itself capable of doing in the past.

That agreement has not been reached through the social partnership process is something of which we also need to be aware and return to at another opportunity. The issue has been raised on the Order of Business on a regular basis. However, it is not enough that short-term agreements are reached between the social partners and the Government. It is important that such agreements are credible. If they are not credible to the people from whom we are borrowing money, it will affect our ability to borrow money and the terms on which we borrow it, which means we would do the country a disservice. That is why decisions need to be made and hopefully will be made in the context of tomorrow's budget.