Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I join Senator O'Toole in asking that we have a debate on what the Government means by consensus politics and what is planned for the upcoming budget. To me, a consensus is not having Fianna Fáil dictating with the rest of us following and jumping to its tune. A consensus is a process involving meaningful interaction between the three parties. Fine Gael proposed an alternative budget last year, as well as an alternative to NAMA and bank recapitalisation. The Government did not accept one suggestion from Fine Gael, whether it related to job creation, the environment or legislation in this House. As Senator O'Toole rightly mentioned, consensus is a two-way street.

I ask for a debate on the elimination of waste in our public bodies. It is appalling that yesterday and this morning the HSE has been embroiled in further controversy on the waste of taxpayers' money. I applaud SIPTU for the role it took when it put money into an account, which it did not have to do. Equally, it is time to consider in detail the number of quangos and their cost to the economy and taxpayers. How many are useful or serve a purpose, and how many can we do without? Do we need any of them? They were primarily set up by the former Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, to patronise his friends and supporters, but he is now gone and we live in a different economic world. We should have a debate on whether we can get rid of quangos.