Alex White (Labour)

I also express my deepest sympathies to the Minister, Deputy Micheál Martin, and his family on the very sad death of his daughter at the weekend.

In the United States yesterday, as we have seen overnight on the news, there has been another change election. From my perspective, I am sorry to see that there would appear to have been a sharp shift to the right in American politics on foot of this election. Much of what we have seen happening in the United States in recent weeks has some resonance in this country because there are many candidates in those elections who appear to think that the way forward for a modern democracy and modern economy is to cut, slash and emasculate the state and cut the heart out of public services. That has been elevated almost into a political mantra in the United States. It is not as if it is something new, but certainly it has come back very much as a major agenda item in that country.

It has resonance in this country. Unfortunately, there are many people in the debate in our country who seem to think that all we must do is to cut the heart out of the State and out of public services, and have the kind of effect on public services and public entitlements to which Senator O'Toole referred a moment ago, for example, those who hold pensions.

There is a genuine concern, shared by me and my party, about areas of waste in public services. We must look at that and consider it carefully. I agree with Senator Fitzgerald's proposal also, very much in the spirit of what Senator O'Toole said. Can we begin to have a debate on public services about what we want to have in this country-----