Vol. 730 Wednesday, No. 1 13 April 2011 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DÁIL ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Dé Céadaoin, 13 Aibreán 2011. Leaders’ Questions ……………………………… 1 Order of Business ……………………………… 8 Ceisteanna—Questions Taoiseach ………………………………… 17 European Council: Statements ………………………… 30 Ceisteanna—Questions (resumed) Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Priority Questions …………………………… 50 Other Questions …………………………… 59 Adjournment Debate Matters …………………………… 68 Road Traffic Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Committee Stage …………………… 69 Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Second Stage (resumed)……78 Private Members’ Business Education and Training: Motion (resumed)…………………… 104 Adjournment Debate Mortgage Arrears ……………………………… 122 Vocational Education Committee ……………………… 124 Schools Accommodation …………………………… 126 Scéimeanna Uisce agus Séarachais ……………………… 128 Questions: Written Answers …………………………… 131 DÁIL ÉIREANN DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL OFFICIAL REPORT Imleabhar 730 Volume 730 Dé Céadaoin, 13 Aibreán 2011. Wednesday, 13 April 2011. ———— Chuaigh an Ceann Comhairle i gceannas ar 10.30 a.m. ———— Paidir. Prayer. ———— Leaders’ Questions Deputy Micheál Martin: Cutting the number of junior Ministers, the bonfire of the quangos, child benefit as a red-line issue, forcing banks to absorb ECB interest rate rises, no further cuts to public service pay, 105,000 jobs from the NewERA deal, renegotiating the EU-IMF deal and burning the bondholders — all were high-profile, highly popular election slogans and are now abandoned or stuck in reverse after only five weeks. They are merely a small section from a long and growing list of abandoned pledges on which the Government got elected. The Taoiseach seems to be preparing the ground for another U-turn. An Ceann Comhairle: Is there a question to the Taoiseach? Deputy Micheál Martin: I am coming to it. On another high profile pledge, the much hyped but now hidden jobs budget, perhaps this morning the Taoiseach can give some clarity. Is it a budget, is it a supplementary budget, an initiative, an economic stimulus or simply a revenue- neutral press release? Deputy Robert Dowds: Or a way of trying to undo the damage of Fianna Fáil. The Taoiseach: I am surprised at Deputy Martin although I suppose should not be. He read out a list of issues that are important for the Government, which is one month in office. He 1 Leaders’ 13 April 2011. Questions [The Taoiseach.] did not mention that the Government of which we was a member lost 250,000 jobs during its term of office. Deputy Colm Keaveney: Year zero. The Taoiseach: He did not mention that he refused to come in here and deny that the IMF had reached our shores in dealing with our economic sovereignty. Deputy Jerry Buttimer: Deputy Martin did not know and he was in Cabinet. A Deputy: They destroyed the country. The Taoiseach: Deputy Martin did not mention, as he complained yesterday, that when the banks unilaterally increased interest charges last year, he did nothing about it. I will say this to him in respect of State boards. I looked at this question because the Govern- ment of which he was a member, right up to the day of the change of Government, made appointments to State boards. Deputy Colm Keaveney: It stuffed them. The Taoiseach: I admit that all Governments over the years, in the interregnum period—— Deputy Micheál Martin: Including those of which the Taoiseach was a member. The Taoiseach: ——yes—— Deputy Colm Keaveney: Jackie’s family. The Taoiseach: ——between the Dáil being dissolved and the new Government being for- med, made appointments, but I raised it with my predecessor on a number of occasions that there should not be any appointments in that period. The change introduced by the Govern- ment will mean that persons of credibility and potential who have something to offer State boards can, through the websites, indicate their expressions of interest and will go before the appropriate Oireachtas committee to discuss their policy and their vision of what they want to do. Frankly, as to the move to deal with employment and job creation, to have a row as to whether it is a budget or a jobs initiative is a matter on which I will tell Deputy Martin something. Deputy Dara Calleary: The Government is having the row. The Taoiseach is rowing with Labour. The Taoiseach: With 440,000 out of work, a 14% unemployment rate, the person who gets a job as a plumber, plasterer, chippy or whatever will not be worried whether it is a budget or a jobs initiative. He or she will be proud and privileged to have the dignity of going to a job and being able to contribute to society. I stated yesterday that the jobs initiative to be announced by the Minister for Finance in the House will be revenue-neutral and will add a stimulus to the indigenous economy to give confidence, hope and encouragement to people to spend what has been saved and get back into the jobs market. Does Deputy Martin expect the Government to sit idly by and deny reality and truth, as he did for four years? (Interruptions). 2 Leaders’ 13 April 2011. Questions Deputy Emmet Stagg: Too much reality and truth, Deputy Martin walked straight into the wall. Deputy Micheál Martin: A week ago, the Taoiseach stated that next month the Minister for Finance will introduce a jobs budget. Yesterday on the floor of the House the Taoiseach accused the Opposition of using that phrase and denied that there would be a jobs budget next May. I asked a simple question: will there be or will there not be a budget next May? The Taoiseach: I changed the term to “jobs initiative” because some people seemed to get the view that this would be a sort of end of year budget for the following year. Deputy Dara Calleary: The Labour Party. The Taoiseach: There were many comments about increased charges and raising taxes on people. Deputy Dara Calleary: From the Minister. Deputy Colm Keaveney: Fianna Fáil’s fingerprints are all over it. The Taoiseach: That is not the purpose of what we are doing here. From that point of view, what the Minister for Finance will announce to the House on behalf of the Government is a series of initiatives to stimulate our indigenous economy, to promote confidence, to provide opportunities for people to go to work, to provide opportunities for employers to be able to get credit to invest in their businesses and to stimulate the national economy. I am sure Deputy Martin will agree with that. Whether one calls it an initiative or a budget, my view is that this is not a conventional budget such as the Minister for Finance will present at the end of the year following a comprehensive analysis and review of how spending is being conducted. Deputy Micheál Martin: So it is not a budget. The Taoiseach: Deputy Martin should wait the few weeks until he sees and agrees with the initiatives it contains. People in his own constituency would be happy to go to work. Whether it is called an initiative or a budget, makes no difference to them. Deputy Micheál Martin: A well-executed U-turn. Deputy Gerry Adams: Deny reality and truth — sinadúirt an Taoiseach bomaite ó shin. I rith an toghcháin, thug siad a lán gealltanais. Ó shin amach, áfach, ó tháinig sé i gcumhacht, tá siad, mar a tharla inné, ag briseadh gealltanais. Yesterday, the Taoiseach chalked up yet another U-turn. However he put it this morning, yesterday he abandoned his jobs budget commitment. Yesterday we learned that the forecast for growth had been cut to 0.5%. How much growth is that? Yesterday, we learned that the Government’s budgetary targets—— An Ceann Comhairle: This is Leaders’ Questions. Deputy Gerry Adams: ——-of reducing the deficit by 2014 will be missed and will not even be met by 2016. The Taoiseach stated not another red cent would go to the banks. He stated that the bondholders would pay and then he gives them €24 billion. He stated he would reverse the cut in the minimum wage and now he states the Government needs the agreement of the EU and the IMF. He stated the Government would review the universal social charge and now 3 Leaders’ 13 April 2011. Questions [Deputy Gerry Adams.] they are imposing a bigger burden on those on lower and middle incomes and those on welfare. He promised to put the EU-IMF—— An Ceann Comhairle: Could we have a question? Deputy Gerry Adams: I am coming to that. He promised to put interest payments on the agenda at the EU summit and then he backed down and took it off. He came here and boasted that such was his initiative. Now we are being told through the media that there will be a revised memorandum of understanding published on Friday. There is no doubt in my mind that this will contain more cuts and austerity. The Taoiseach inherited an economic crisis created by the previous Government, but Fianna Fáil is not in government now. The Taoiseach is in government. He is making the political choices. With respect, he is making the wrong political choices. An Ceann Comhairle: Could we have the question? Deputy Gerry Adams: How does the Taoiseach continue to lumber the Irish people with a colossal debt to reinforce and keep buying in to an EU-IMF deal which we cannot afford and how does he hope to continue to cut his way out of recession when it is patently obvious that this situation is not sustainable? The Taoiseach: I do live in the land of truth and reality and, in fact, there are elements of the first with which the Deputy could deal.