Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That should be borne in mind because it raises the most fundamental questions as to what happened in Balbriggan. It gives some answers to what the former Minister of State, Deputy Shortall, was referring to in media interviews at the weekend and what sources close to her were revealing to the newspapers. Too much has gone on. Too much has been said and not said on the matter and we must have clear answers as to how the decisions were taken. We will not accept in particular from the Labour Party, the sort of guff that has come from the Government in the past week. The former Minister of State rode roughshod through that guff, as did the Ministers, Deputies Burton and Varadkar, and the Minister of State, Deputy Creighton. They do not believe it and neither do we. We need an explanation and the Minister of State, Deputy Alex White, is best placed to give the explanation. One presumes that on his appointment yesterday he went straight into the Department and found out what exactly happened. He should tell the Seanad today.

Another issue I wish to raise relates to consumer confidence, which was at a very high rate on the KCB survey in recent years in August. It shot down completely at the end of this month. That is an unfortunate and worrying situation. The reason given by all commentators is the fear of the budget and the kite flying that is going on by various Ministers. The Taoiseach, Deputy Kenny, asked his Ministers to take down their kites but they keep putting them up. My colleague, Senator Darragh O?Brien, raised the latest one yesterday, namely child benefit. It is frightening people all over the country. People are wondering whether they will be able to continue to pay for their children to go to crèches next year and perhaps they are pulling out already. Their confidence is shot and the upshot of it is that confidence in the domestic economy is shot because of the kite flying of Ministers. I appeal to them to take down their kites and to carry out a proper, serious budgetary process. They should not put the frighteners on the public because it is putting the frighteners on the economy.