Feargal Quinn (Independent)

It has been interesting to hear this debate and to hear Senator Norris say this House has little impact on budgetary matters. This House has the impact it deserves. If we are to impact on budgetary matters it will be because we earned that respect, interest and the notice we get.

When a family runs short of money because its income is not as big as its outgoings or when a business finds its income is not as big as its outgoings it cuts its costs. Senator Harris reminded us earlier how we can do that. In Britain yesterday, Sir Philip Green published savings to the British public sector and he said they were massive. He had been given the job in August and reported in early October with those figures. He was following what Colm McCarthy did for us here last year when he said we can save billions - not millions - in costs and then outlined the tough measures families and businesses would have to take to save those costs. We have not grasped that. We have not said we will do that and get over this problem much more quickly than otherwise. What we do not want to do is allow this problem drag out to the extent that we do not manage to save our economy as well. We need growth. We need to get on top of the problem. We can do so. We had two different debates last week on the economy and in those attention was given to some of the areas we can work on but we must identify those and take the cuts and the difficult decisions. We must not damage the economy in the future. We have it in our own hands. We do not have to rely on anybody else to tell us what to do. We can do it ourselves.

To return to the point made by Senator Norris, those of us in this House must earn respect, interest and notification but we must work hard at it.