Publication of the McCarthy report
Eamon Gilmore accused the Taoiseach of withholding the McCarthy report on public spending before the summer recess, arguing that the public needed to see its recommendations amid worsening unemployment and economic uncertainty.
We had a somewhat similar exchange at exactly this time last year when I, on behalf of the Labour Party, asked the Taoiseach not to put the Dáil into recess because of the deteriorating economic situation. I proposed a motion at the time in which I said that the live register figures had gone through the 200,000 barrier and that the economic situation was deteriorating. At the time the Taoiseach seemed to adopt the attitude that the economic business of the country was the private business of the Government which would do what it had to do. It returned here last September in a panic and stumbled from one crisis to another ever since. It would appear that the Government has learned nothing.
Comment on this
The Taoiseach is still behaving like this despite the economic difficulties which people have, with the number of unemployed twice what it was last year. There was a report yesterday from the city and county development boards showing that half the businesses with which they have been in contact are finding it more difficult now to get credit from financial institutions than they did six months ago.
The Taoiseach has come in here and told us that he does not want to defer decisions but he has done nothing else.
Comment on this
This is not the Taoiseach's own business or a matter for private discussion by the Government. It is public business.
Comment on this
The state of the economy is public business and the Taoiseach is withholding from the public. It is not about courtesy to the House, although that may come into it as well. That is not what the issue primarily concerns. The Taoiseach is withholding the McCarthy report; there is some nonsense about it not being delivered or that we will get it later in the week and discuss it then.
Comment on this
The Taoiseach knows what is in the McCarthy report.
Comment on this
He has it and is simply delaying the receipt of it so he will not have to publish it or answer for it here in the course of debate. If that is to be the basis of how the Government is to deal with public expenditure and the delivery of public services for the rest of this year into 2010, we must see what is in the report. He should put it on the table before the House breaks for the summer.