David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I appeal to the Leader to extend the time allotted to discuss the budget today. If he is not in a position to extend the time today then I ask that he agrees to roll over the debate until tomorrow or Thursday. I want the debate extended because it is important that every Senator in the House, from all sides, who wishes to contribute has an opportunity to do so. I do not believe that will be possible in the two hours and 15 minutes that has been provided. The Leader should extend the debate by an hour which is not a big ask. If he cannot do so then he should consider rolling it over until tomorrow or Thursday. I genuinely believe that everybody who sits in the House should have an opportunity to have his or her say on the budget.

The Minister for Finance has said that the budget will be tough. If all of the media leaks are true it will also be an unfair one, especially on young people who will again be asked to leave the country because that is what a cut means. When one cuts the dole of young people one is taking opportunities away so the only option left open to them is to leave the country. We are just short of the State and the Minister paying for the plane tickets. The cut is a recipe for more emigration and that is in addition to the 300,000 people, mainly young people, qualified people and graduates, who have left the State over the past four years.

The budget will contain all sorts of cutbacks, hidden cuts plus more visible ones. Therefore, it is incumbent on the Leader to make sure that we have a genuine debate on the budget, that we genuinely debate all of the propositions, proposals and cuts in the budget and that we have an opportunity to challenge the Minister on the cuts. I do not believe that we will have the opportunity to do so given the short period set aside for the debate. I respectfully ask the Leader to extend the time, by whatever way he sees fit, in a way that ensures that every Senator has an opportunity to speak.