Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I bring to the attention of the House the calls by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and Nevin Economic Research Institute for restraint in the budget debates that are taking place. Senator Hayden referred to some of the points arising. The Taoiseach rightly raised the issue of the high tax rate, which is 52% for people on average earnings of €32,000. Since he rightly raised the issue, I have received in my mailbox an incredible number of lobbying communications proposing that we spend a surplus that does not exist. There have been calls from lobby groups for more corporate tax breaks and reliefs for the property, construction, hotel and film sectors and the usual suspects. Many of these calls for unanalysed and unrestrained public expenditure come from groups that were closely associated with the boom–bust period. They certainly have learned nothing.

It is not the time to abandon caution or to give in to these kinds of lobbyists. We need a debate on the context of this budget because some of the pressure groups and lobbyists have gone completely out of control. I hear requests to double capital expenditure. That is irresponsible without proper economic appraisal, and it could jeopardise the recovery. Therefore, I ask the Leader to have a debate on this. If the Minister is preoccupied with many other matters, perhaps we should have a debate among ourselves on what the priorities should be in the budget.