CONTROL of public spending is essential to allow scope for meaningful tax reform, the Minister for Finance said.
Mr Quinn, in a speech read for him by the Minister for Equality and Law Reform, said the Government had succeeded in keeping the growth of public spending to its lowest level since 1989.
In the 1991-94 period the average real increase in day to day Government spending was 6 per cent. Since taking office the Government had succeeded in reversing that "excessive growth trend". In 1995 the real increase was just over 3 per cent and in the 1996 Budget they had provided for an increase of 2.5 per cent.
Speaking on the estimate for the Department of the Taoiseach, he said the Government was determined to maintain this prudent stance. The use of scarce public resources would have to be planned more efficiently.
Implementation of the Strategic Management Initiative would make a significant contribution to an efficient and modern public service capable of delivering the highest quality services at significantly reduced costs.
Mr Quinn said there were compelling reasons why the social partners should come together to agree on a national programme to follow the Programme on Competitiveness and Work (PCW). It would not be easy to reach agreement, but "we must not lightly disregard the improvement in our economy in recent years and the major contribution which a decade of social consensus has made to this achievement."
With public service pay accounting for over half of net current public spending, the consequences of deviating from the cost parameters of the PCW agreement would be serious. Staff must accept the need for change in return for any increases offered.
The Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, said that no incoming government had been handed better opportunities - a booming economy, the PCW, substantial EU monies to spend and a three month old peace process.
"While in some areas progress has been maintained, in other areas opportunities have been squandered and the necessary action has not been taken or left too late. The righteous postures adopted by the Government parties when they were in opposition have been largely abandoned long with most of their original policies."
The Government was one of the most closed administrations in modern times. There was no sign of the promised reform of the Ministers and Secretaries Act, no sign of relaxing Cabinet confidentiality, the promised Freedom of Information Act or reform of the Official Secrets Act.
Law enforcement had suffered from serious differences within the Coalition. The present crime situation had been building up for some time but serious crime had become particularly acute under this Government. "Any Minister for Justice needs the support and confidence of the Taoiseach and of Cabinet colleagues to be effective, as well as the confidence of the Garda."
It was clear from statements by the Minister for Finance that he begrudged spending money on law and order. "How can the Government justify the Tanaiste's veto last year of the Minister for Justice's proposal to hold a referendum on bail; past inaction on the right to silence and earlier deferral of plans to provide new prison accommodation?"
He warned the Government about the ineffectiveness of a "deathbed conversion to lower taxes" in next year's Budget. "The electorate will not be satisfied with the prospect of some vote buying relief for hard pressed taxpayers only once every five years.
The PD leader, Ms Mary Harney, claimed that the "rot" had set in the Rainbow [Coalition], and the only surprise was that its constituent parts had managed to hang in there for so long.
"It was inevitable that the feel good factor in Fine Gael about holding the reins of the Rainbow would only last so long. In the last few days, the impatience about being in power, but being effectively impotent, has become evident."
The Minister for Social Welfare, Mr De Rossa, pledged that the Government would defend freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
"As a society, we have to confront both the culture of criminality and a certain residual ambivalence towards the law and its agencies," he said.