Joe O'Toole (Independent)

The Government side is all over the place but it calls on us to have confidence in it. That is the issue. One need not agree, disagree or "Hear, hear" me. That is not the issue. This is about the uncertainty and lack of confidence that the Government side is infusing into the situation, but it calls on us to have confidence. I trust it will begin to get the message about the difficulties this creates for those of us on this side of the House.

I have listened to all the discussions on the minimum wage, including the argument about the gap between welfare and the minimum wage. I have considered all the reasons but I have not heard any logical reason put forward for the reduction in the minimum wage. IBEC did not call for it and the National Competitiveness Council did not envisage any gain. It was not sought by any representative group. I have not done the sums but it seems the Government has managed to narrow the gap between welfare and the minimum wage. We have reduced the minimum wage more than welfare and therefore we have narrowed the gap. I have listened to one and a half years of discussion about the gap and a situation whereby people are more content to stay on welfare and have no wish to take a job on the minimum wage but now we narrow the gap to worsen that situation.

Those are six reasons but I could give more. How can I be asked to have confidence in the Government? I wish to put the issues straight down but I have no wish to make it easy on the other side. I have only mentioned one issue-driven matter and I do not care if I do not get an answer on the issue-driven question but I seek an answer to the questions of why we have been fooled about the legislative list from the Green Party, why we have not been given Seanad reform despite promises from the Government and why the Government appears to be changing its mind now following a solemn commitment. How can we trust a Government half of whose members are walking away? How can we trust a party which speaks of not having confidence in its leader? How can we have confidence in a Government if two of its main Ministers are hung out to dry and manage to mislead the whole country? Then there is the issue of the minimum wage. I call on the Minister to deal with the technical matters and to discuss them with me. I look forward to hearing why the Government can justify opposing the motion. The Government side might believe we should have confidence but it should explain why we should not have tabled the motion. How can we have confidence in the light of the context in which I have placed the issues?