Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join others in raising the issue of cuts to allowances for public servants as reported in the media this morning. I ask the Acting Leader to raise the issue of the forthcoming budget. While I would not always agree with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, he was spot on in highlighting that consumer confidence was being directly affected by Ministers flying kites as to what might and might not be cut. We cannot have a different budget every time the Irish Independent prints an article. The people deserve some clarity and some element of confidence but this does not give them that. If there are to be cuts and savings announced, Ministers should not fly kites. As Senator Byrne has said, it is a sad day when our target is the people who are directly at the coalface on the front line. It is the nurses, soldiers, gardaí and teachers. Those people in middle Ireland, who are lucky enough to have jobs-----