Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There is a programme for Government commitment to ask the people to make the choice on Seanad abolition. I look forward to the debate on it as the people are wise in these matters. As they have rejected and accepted constitutional proposals in the past, we need to make our case, whatever our perspective on this is. It is good that we have to make our case.

I ask anyone who comes into me with their hand out looking for money, if they are essential. I do not ask them if they are doing a good job and are a successful support for the State. Instead, can we do without them? That is the criteria we have to apply.

Senator Mac Conghail asked about the medium-term expenditure framework. The idea is to have a multi-annual framework which we have already introduced on the capital side. It used to annoy me no end-----