Rónán Mullen (Independent)

If we are so spineless and unimaginative about policy and legislation, is it any wonder we end up with the Government making bad choices, failing to exercise the necessary oversight and allowing the country to make serious mistakes to the detriment of everybody? I ask for a bit of imagination, creativity and determination, in this and the other House, in debating how our system is working and whether it is serving people properly. Instead of just serving ourselves and trying to secure our own re-election, we should ask the hard questions about how our system has worked to date and how we could possibly improve it.

We must all accept that we have a smaller purse, and we must look at the big picture and recognise that we cannot make realistic calls for expenditure in this or that area. The fact remains, however, that we have a purse, and in all times of challenge there must be thrift and there must be intelligent choices about what is in the purse and how it is to be spent. I spoke recently to a graduate who has a master's degree but in an area in which he cannot find employment. He wants to go back to third level education and do another master's degree, which would take 15 months.