Backbencher calls for review of junior Ministers

A GOVERNMENT backbencher has said the number of Ministers of State will have to be “looked at to make savings” in the light of the collapse in tax revenues.

Michael McGrath (FF, Cork South-Central) said there can be “no sacred cows” and the number of junior Ministers and Oireachtas committees along with the system of TDs’ and Senators’ expenses would have to be reviewed.

Politicians could not face the public with any credibility if they were not prepared to take pain themselves. Referring to the public finances, he said that “we must resolve this situation ourselves”.

If not “others will do it for us on terms that are far more unpalatable than those introduced by the Government in the first week of April”.

Mr McGrath, speaking during a Fine Gael private members’ motion, said “we will have to show leadership”. The “markets are ruthless and we must stop believing that the world owes us something”.

John O’Mahony (FG, Mayo) highlighted waste by Government Ministers and departments, including hundreds of thousands wasted on toilets, €150,000 spent on flights to the US and “almost €500,000 spent in the last two years on press launches by departments”.

He said “the public need to see evidence that lessons have been learnt from the mistakes of the past.

“I see that hadn’t happened up to Monday last when Minister Cullen’s travel for one day cost €8,000. This is, however, a good opportunity to illustrate belt-tightening at the top when St Patrick’s Day celebrations are going on around the world.”

He said last St Patrick’s Day travel cost €500,000, excluding the cost of Government jets. He said €112 million had been spent on school pre-fabs since 2006. “Would or could some of this spend not build new schools, which would be better value for money?”

He said that “to say sorry is a sign of strength and always earns respect. We saw President Obama doing it a couple of weeks ago.”

James Bannon (FG, Longford-Westmeath) said the number of committees should be halved, pointing out that France only had eight.