Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I listened to the Minister of State and to some of the debate on this issue in the Lower House as well. I have never believed that Governments can create jobs. The best they can hope to do is to create an environment where the private sector will create the jobs. In that regard, it is interesting that what is endeavoured to be done here is reducing specific taxes in certain areas in order to try to generate activity within sectors such as tourism in the hope that additional jobs will follow as a consequence.

That should be paid for by reducing costs. The cost of government is much too high. Everybody working in the public service, including Oireachtas Members, is overpaid, probably by one third, as are people in the private sector. We need to bring the economy into alignment with our main competitors, specifically developed economies such as Germany, France, Britain and the Benelux. I am not even making comparisons with eastern European countries.

Perhaps I misheard the Minister of State, but I understood from his contribution that he believed increasing the minimum wage would lead to the creation of jobs. I hope I misunderstood his words.