Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

It is no wonder that some Government backbenchers are opposed to it because they probably think it is part of the country's ruination. The Government must take this matter in hand and take responsibility for cuts in services and the lack of strategic planning that is evident from what has happened recently. It is unacceptable to make policies on the hoof. We need more of these debates to keep pressure on the Government. I did not mention savings because that is not a clear-cut issue when one takes pensions into account. Nonetheless the troika acknowledged that it had not been dealt with.

We wish the Government well in its continued pursuance of this policy, but a lot more needs to be done.