SEANAD REPORT:SHANE ROSS (Ind) said in terms of actions needed to deal with our economic problems, he was delighted to see that the Government had finally recognised it was time to tell the unions to "go and jump in a lake".

Mr Ross referred to a statement by Minister of State for Finance Martin Mansergh that it was not surprising that there were some who in good faith were saying that we should delay taking hard decisions for one of two years.

“The reality is, however, that we have no choice but to act now on the commitments that we have made to the EU Commission, EU ministers and the ECB even in the unlikely event that the markets would allow delay,” the Minister said.

Mr Ross said paying too much deference in the past to the public service unions had led to a state of affairs for which we were now paying the price. Mr Ross said he did not know why there was so little talk of selling off the semi -States. Would it be a sin to put the ESB up for sale? He would prefer to see An Post sold than to see those of our people in real hardship being affected by budgetary measures.

Alex White (Labour) said he believed that if we were serious about broadening our tax base in the medium term that could not be done without a property tax.

Eoghan Harris (Ind) said he thought the Government was afraid of the public sector unions and of those who it thought could paralyse the country, when it should be telling them to do their worst and be willing to face them down.

Jim Walsh (FF) said the Chief Justice received €130,000 more than his US counterpart, while our Supreme Court judges were paid €100,000 more than their opposite numbers in the US.