Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I have two questions for the Leader. Will he ask the Taoiseach, Deputy Brian Cowen, to confirm that he will do the same for all public servants as he did for the senior civil servants? In a sneaky Cabinet move on 23 December, their pay cuts of 12% and 15%, respectively, were reversed to 3% and 5%, respectively. What was that about? How could it be fair? Why is he giving preferential treatment to senior civil servants who are on salaries of more than €165,000 per annum? This is where public trust and confidence has been lost. Is it the case that the Taoiseach is afraid of them? Are they covering up for this Government? I would respect a response to this question from the Taoiseach, through the Leader of the House. I will persist with this question until I get an answer.

There is another cover-up with the banking inquiry. If there is nothing to cover up, why is it not being held in public? We need three dimensions to the banking inquiry. Senator MacSharry said there was regulatory recklessness, but there might also have been political recklessness. Did the concept of the Financial Regulator not originate from the office of the Minister for Finance? At that time the Minister for Finance was the current Taoiseach, Deputy Brian Cowen. There must be openness if there is to be a banking inquiry. In fact, we should not have a banking inquiry at all unless it is open and transparent. Let us not waste any more public money and our very scant resources. The way the inquiry is currently framed is a sham. Does the Taoiseach have respect for the taxpayers, whose futures have been mortgaged, whose homes are at risk and who have lost their jobs? He is seeking to waste their money on an inquiry that is less than transparent.

I look forward to receiving replies to those two questions from the Taoiseach, Deputy Cowen, through the Leader of the House.