Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

Today I am not going to talk about the new politics that new Fine Gael and the Labour Party were to introduce or the Government's statement that it would not appoint friends and cronies, including in judicial appointments, nor will I talk about the breaking of salary caps for their special advisers.

I agreed with Senator Whelan this morning that it is an outrage that the chief executive of Bank of Ireland is paid €850,000. Although Senators have talked about cutting salaries and reducing the salary of the Taoiseach to €200,000, a decision I fully applaud, Ministers, when they appoint their friends to help them out, breach the salary cap time and again. People are sick and tired of this.

I wish the Government well. As Senator O'Sullivan said, we want this country to improve. I believe that, as a group, we can work together to achieve that, but not without protecting the family home and ensuring there is liquidity for businesses, as desired by Senator White. Butchering the capital programme will not create jobs. Unemployment has increased the Government's much-vaunted jobs initiative. The budget was to be a jobs budget. Unemployment among the workers who are still here has increased from 13.7% last July to 14.3%. This is a fact.

Ireland has many challenges to face. I advise the Government to set aside the politics of spin and PR. It should tell the people what it cannot do. It should not tell the people it has not cut basic social welfare rates. That does not wash with them. It should not tell people it has not touched income tax. While it may not have done so, it has introduced indirect taxation. It should consider the problems it is having because of the household charge. With regard to that charge, local taxes need to be paid. We will be paying the charge and we support it, but the manner-----