Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister. I listened to his speech in my office. If I closed my eyes, I could picture him giving the same speech in any part of the world. He is oblivious to the fact the budget, of which this is almost the culmination, was unfair.

It is important for us to have a national debate on the political system. The level of frustration and anger among the people at the political class is extraordinary. We are fortunate we have not had an overwhelming level of social unrest. It is important we understand what people are saying to us. The people are not always right, because they are volatile in terms of what they want and do not want, but there is one common theme in what they are looking for and that is smaller, cheaper and better government.

I do not subscribe to the notion that this country is banjaxed. It may be broken and in need of repair.

That means a change of people in charge of the country with a new government coming in offering a new sense of hope. What upsets me most is that the Government has divided public versus private and poor versus rich, which is wrong. It has polarised society and allowed for a new movement of the extreme left, which needs to be put up for scrutiny in what it is offering to the people. Whatever else about Fine Gael, we have put forward policies which, while different from the Government's, are fair and will get Ireland back to work.

I wish to comment on the gateway innovation fund and the national spatial strategy. Cork has its docklands project which has been in gestation for a long time. The strategy report of the docklands committee has never been published and I wonder why the Minister, Deputy Gormley did not do so. He mentioned tourism in his remarks and the city of Cork is the major city in the south. The gateway innovation fund needs to be reviewed in the context of the prioritisation of the Cork docklands project. A number of weeks ago we met the Cork city manager who spoke about the importance of the docklands. Before it leaves office, the Government should prioritise the immediate steps necessary to grant aid that project without having to hand over the seed capital immediately. Cork City Council has all its ducks in a row and An Bord Pleanála has given permission for building the two bridges which would open up the Cork docklands. Despite the recession and the economic difficulties we are experiencing, there are developers willing to embark upon a journey with Cork City Council and the Government in this project.

The two swing bridges at Tivoli and Water Street are fundamental to the project proceeding. It needs commitment and support from Government to ensure this public infrastructure work will get started and completed. I understand that €100 million or €120 million is a major commitment and I am not expecting that. The green light should be given to the Cork City Council, however, and to the developers who are willing to embark on this, which would indicate the national spatial strategy and gateway innovation fund are still central to our development. It is important the Minister for Finance would assist this project. Already this week in Cork we had the announcement of the plans for Beamish and Crawford, which as the Minister knows closed down, but we have a very ambitious plan to develop this quarter of Cork city. I heard Senator Hanafin speak about the unemployment figures. While we may have 1.8 million in work, let us consider the number of people out of work and the number who have emigrated. I am asking that the docklands area in Cork, which is strategic and attractive, should receive Government commitment and the Government should show a willingness to journey with the people in Cork.

The Minister is right in what he said about tourism and I am glad he went some of the way in reversing the daft air travel tax the Government introduced in a previous budget. Tourism is very important and can create thousands of jobs. A proposal has been submitted for a convention centre in the city of Cork, which I believe is necessary. If the Minister has not been to Cork city, I invite him to visit the English Market and look at the wonderful array of foods and produce there, which can be used to fly the flag for Cork across the world. The Government should consider supporting it through its tourism incentives.

It is imperative for us to grapple with the issue of reform of the public sector as proposed by Fine Gael. I reassure public sector workers that there is nothing they should fear in the Fine Gael proposals. We want to have a public sector that is fit for purpose and has pride in its committed workers. Morale in the public sector is at an all-time low. They come to work every day and get pummelled by social commentators and by Members of these Houses. I was interested in the Minister's remarks on social partnership and if I heard it correctly he was questioning social partnership and some of the decisions taken therein. One of the biggest mistakes we made in social partnership was removing the Houses of the Oireachtas as a pillar of it. There was no accountability or engagement with the Houses of the Oireachtas.

We need to reform the political class. I do not believe for a second that abolition of the Seanad and getting rid of State cars will solve our nation's problems, but it will send out a message of leadership. The budget should have proposed abolishing some of the State bodies and quangos we do not need, but the Minister did not do so, which surprised me. Equally the Government did not go far enough regarding FÁS. Yesterday I stated that the people operating at the front line in FÁS have unfairly got a very bad press. As with the banks, those at the top tier of management lost the run of themselves and, unfortunately, the main body of workers were demonised as well.

Some 16 years ago today, John Bruton was in his second day as Taoiseach and it is now time for Government to come back to being transparent and open with its citizens. We need to restore the link between us and the people which has been badly damaged. The legacy of Deputy Bertie Ahern has ruined a generation of lives. It behoves all of us to tell the people that politics is a noble profession and that we are concerned about the people and work for them, which is something the Government has not done. I am amused when I hear members of the Cabinet claim they have acted in the national interest for the past two years. Why did they not do it all the time? What have they been doing for the past 13 years? They had a slush fund they spent on an orgy of getting votes and staying in power.