Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

They really do not know what is going on. Let us consider the Order Paper. Some two thirds of the items were put down by Members and only one third by the Government. We need more scrutiny and checks and balances, especially given what happened to the country between 2008 and 2010. It was not the fault of Senators or Dáil backbenchers - yesterday, we discussed getting rid of or abolishing eight Dáil backbench seats - it was the permanent Government and the Civil Service. I have never seen a Government so under-the-thumb of the Civil Service as this one. It has not called the bankers or bank regulators to account. It is blaming the Seanad for the ¤64 billion that walked out of Government Buildings. There was not one Senator within miles of it when that transaction took place and it is time the Government came to explain what occurred and took measures to deal with it.

Over the weekend, the Chief Justice drew attention to the added problem of a four-year waiting list to have legislation scrutinised by the Supreme Court. We have put down more than 300 amendments on personal insolvency for the Minister to consider. We have reached amendment No. 65 on the Taxi Regulation Bill. This is what we do every day. We are doing the Irish economy and society a considerable benefit by painstakingly going through Bills and spotting the errors. No one has a monopoly on wisdom, least of all a Government with a 40 seat Dáil majority heavily dominated by the Executive and controlled by the permanent government. We need checks and balances. We need to bring in the expertise of this House. I learn something every day from the people here. I cannot imagine how the Taoiseach and Tánaiste believe that anyone here is expendable or should be removed. It is appalling that the Taoiseach and Tánaiste should go to the people seeking to abolish an arm of government whose job it is to assess how the Taoiseach and Tánaiste are performing. We are here to scrutinise them and to provide checks and balances.