Joe O'Toole (Independent)

Who will ask the reason for this and examine what they are saying? I ask the Leader for a date, on which the Minister of State with responsibility for the public service will come to the House to explain to Members some simple matters such as the objectives in this regard, the exact numbers he expects to cut from the public sector, the exact number of millions of euro that must be saved and how this will be achieved. He should do so in order that everyone can get behind it, as there are examples of waste.

I will conclude by referring to an extraordinary case that came to light over the weekend. Six months ago a homeless man walked into a supermarket in Galway and stole a €6 bottle of wine. He was put in jail in Cork where he has been kept for six months. He appeared in court last week and the regulations require that three members of the Prison Service bring him there and back. It is time we began to examine such matters, asked the reason and when it is going to stop.