Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

There has been much discussion about achieving consensus. There was a need over the last two years for much greater cohesion in the political system to tackle the situation in which we find ourselves. Nobody really believes that any area of expenditure will not be put under the microscope if we are to extricate ourselves from our fiscal difficulties. The forthcoming budget will be essential for the future economic life of this country. It will obviously impact on all sectors. The public sector has to be examined in the same way as every other sector. I am glad we will have a debate this morning on the Croke Park agreement.

The challenge for the political system is to come together and display to the public that it can put party political interest second to the national interest. That message is far from clear at the moment with some voices in all parties that are beacons in expressing it, but it is far from comprehensive as it needs to be. It will take courage, but if we do not do it we will be betraying those who have gone before us and will be imposing on those to come after us a legacy of which we will not be proud.