Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

The courageous and forthright contribution made by Senator O'Malley underscores the importance of her accepting the amendment tabled by Senator Fitzgerald which proposes that the House debate today cutbacks to disability services. If the cost of administration is a problem, the issue must be resolved as part of the debate. It does not provide adequate justification or an excuse for denying basic services to people with a disability. On the contrary, it challenges the Government to prune the tree and bring sense to public expenditure. We are not cherishing all the children of the nation equally. It is not right to remove front-line and respite care services from people with intellectual disabilities or that in many areas, including my constituency, there are explicit and implicit threats to day care services for geriatrics. The Fine Gael Party courageously produces an alternative budget every year. While it accepts the need to reduce public expenditure and the broad parameters for doing so, it does not accept that this reduction should be made at the expense of the weak and vulnerable. A full debate is required to identify areas in which we can reduce public expenditure and increase revenue to the State. Such a debate must establish priorities and draw a line in the sand by stating services for people with an intellectual disability, old people in day care centres and so forth are immovable and sacrosanct. They are part of our republican philosophy that we cherish all the children of the nation equally and of a social and Christian society. I ask the Leader to give a commitment that he will hold such a debate on the process and priorities of budgeting.