Seanad debates

Tuesday, 15 May 2012

3:00 pm

Photo of Paul BradfordPaul Bradford (Fine Gael)

The current situation in Europe is of concern to us all. Greece is the most visible example of a near collapse of politics and economics, but across the entire European Continent millions of citizens are worried about their futures. We must both empathise and sympathise with all of those people. From our perspective we must ask about our rate of reform and what the Government is doing to bring about the necessary reform. In that regard the questions raised by Senators O'Brien and Healy Eames among others must be addressed. It would be useful for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, to come to the House to give an overview of the future of the reform agenda. I heard Senator Crown on a programme over the weekend and while I might not fully agree with his prescription about the future of this House, he focused on the question of reform. It must be the key word in trying to rebuild this country. I am referring to both economic and political reform.

I am not sure of the Minister's range of responsibilities as they may apply to the constitutional convention but if elections are to mean anything and if they are not to be just about replacing governments with the "same old, same old" remaining in place, reform must happen, be visible and must work. We urgently need to question how the reform agenda is progressing and what progress will happen in the next two years. People must have confidence in politics and know when they insert an "X" in the box for Party A or Party B it makes a difference. It was quite depressing last week amid all the euphoria about the change of Government in France that the first statement of the incoming President of France was that the books were worse than he thought. We have heard that so often.

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