Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

I had the pleasure yesterday of being present at the reopening of Waterford Crystal which has given a renewed a sense of belief and spirit in the people of Waterford. While the Government was prepared to see this iconic brand name relocate outside the country, the city manager and the city council put their money where their mouths were, made investments and negotiated with the holding company, WWRD. As a result, we now have Waterford Crystal back in operation in Waterford, with the creation of 70 jobs. I make this point not for parochial reasons but to reinforce the point that local authorities can and should be the driving force behind local employment initiatives. All of the quangos involved should be placed under the umbrella the of local authorities because they contain the people with the knowledge and expertise required.

I read in the newspapers today that the Government is making plans to introduce a property tax and that people will be asked to pay between €250 and €3,000 in charges when the budget is agreed. At a time when there are 300,000 in negative equity, many of whom are in dire straits because of the policies of the Government, is it now the intention of the Government to crucify them?

It is almost one year since the McCarthy report was published. It provided detailed recommendations to streamline Government services, cut costs and achieve greater value for money. It now transpires from answers to parliamentary questions that only one of the ten recommendations made in the report has been implemented. The Government has avoided dealing with all of the difficult issues such as public sector reform and the multiplicity of organisations in operation. For example, in 2008 it announced a merger of the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority, but it has still not introduced a Bill in this or the other House to give effect to that decision. That is an example of the paralysis evident within the Government. It seems that it is prepared to take the soft option and hit homeowners - the typical response of this failed Government. It is time to wake up and introduce the policies which are necessary to bring the country back to prosperity.

I suggest we have a debate soon on local government to bring all of the quangos under the umbrella of local government. We would then see a better response by local government on employment issues. That is where we can make a difference.