Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We had a good debate last night with the Minister of State at the Department of Finance on the spring economic statement. I reiterate the call I made yesterday to the Leader for a more comprehensive debate not just on quarterly economic statements but also on how the country will proceed in the next five to ten years and how any excess money will be spent. It has been announced that there many well be between €1.5 billion and €1.8 billion in additional moneys available in the forthcoming budget. It has been reported in the newspapers today that the Government may allocate around €300 million of this money to the public sector in increased pay. The public sector plays a crucial and fundamental role in the operation of the State, but it would be wrong for the Government in the lead up to a general election to try to use any surplus money like confetti at a wedding in providing money for public servants without any increase in productivity, efficiency or the effectiveness of public sector organisations across the board. That has not happened. The old saying goes, "Never waste a recession". The Government keeps using the mantra that it will not do things in the way they were done in the past, but it is doing them in exactly the same way. It comes down to keeping the trade union movement which funds the Labour Party happy.