Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

Will the Deputy Leader invite the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, to the House as soon as possible? I understand he and his colleague, the Minister for Finance, are giving a press conference this morning on the details of the fifth EU-IMF report. The Irish Times reports today that the issue of public service increments has been totally dismissed by the Minister, Deputy Howlin, notwithstanding the calls by Fine Gael Party backbenchers to address the issue. Any Minister in Deputy Howlin's position should not rule anything out given the seriousness of our fiscal situation.

Meanwhile, we have another Labour Party Minister talking about heaping a broadcasting charge on top of the list of charges already being imposed on hard-pressed householders, including the household charge, water charges and septic tank charge, not to mention the increased cost of health insurance as a consequence of off-loading inefficiency and excessive costs in the public sector on to the private sector. It is unconscionable that a greater effort is not being made to ensure savings across the public service. Current public expenditure for 2012 is budgeted to exceed last year's expenditure by €1.4 million. That is irresponsible. The Minister should come to the House to deal with the EU-IMF report and to explain how we will extricate ourselves from these difficulties. As it stands, he is in real danger of becoming the Minister for over-expenditure and no public service reform.