Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)

It is not often that I agree with Senator Cullinane but I agree with much of what he said about the comments by the International Monetary Fund on State benefits. Senator Michael D'Arcy made a very good contribution, when he called for a conversation on how we spend and spread State payments and benefits. I appeal to the Leader to take his comments on board because we should have that conversation in the autumn.

We hear a lot of talk about taxing the wealthy but we must ask who the wealthy are in this country. The people who were wealthy seven or eight years ago are no longer wealthy. Many were small employers or sub-contractors who were not paid what they were owed by larger contractors. Now many have found that they are not entitled to any State benefits because they were not paying the correct PRSI contributions at that time. We must widen the debate about who the wealthy are and how we are spending our State benefits. There are certainly people receiving State benefits whose entitlement is questionable and perhaps their money should be targeted at the underprivileged and the disadvantaged. This conversation is important. At a time of scarce resources, we should be targeting the most vulnerable. I hope we will have that debate in the autumn as we approach the budget. It is important that this House has an input into shaping the budget and that the various Ministers would take on board comments made in this House.