Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I support the call made by Senator Buttimer and other colleagues that we have a debate on the Croke Park deal. I find it extraordinary that certain politicians present the view that there should be no discussion or political direction. As representatives of the people, we in this House must express our views and debate the deal. There is a view that clarification of certain matters is required. At the end of the day, the Government is the employer. We are presenting this package to public sector workers and if clarification is required, questions are to be asked and answered, it is most appropriate that a debate take place in the Houses.

I support Senator Ó Murchú in calling for a robust debate on economic matters. There are five days in the parliamentary week and enough hours in each day to have the senior economic Ministers come before us to debate the political and economic options available.

I concur with Senator Cannon on the issue of the carbon tax. When I raised the matter last week on the Adjournment, I received a bizarre response from the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food that the Government's estimate of the cost per farming family was only €236 per annum. That view is off the wall. The carbon tax will result in the loss of jobs in rural Ireland and the shutting down of contractors. It penalise farming families further. Countries such as France are reflecting on the concept of carbon taxes and parking it for a while. We should not rush into introducing this penalising imposition on rural Ireland. At a time when almost 500,000 people are unemployed, the only certainty about the carbon tax is that it will result in hundreds and thousands more being added to the dole queues. That is not where we should be heading.