SENIOR advisers in the Department of Finance had indicated their alarm at the excessive increase in Government expenditure and at the failure of the current administration to reach many of the financial targets it had set itself, Mr Dick Roche (FF) claimed.
Next year the Government would spend around £13 billion, which represented £13,000 for every taxpayer or £4,000 for every citizen, he said. While ministers might argue that the money was being spent sensibly, the reality, was that we were spending at a rate we could not afford.
The projected rise in public spending meant that Government demands on taxpayers would be four times the rate of inflation.
The Government's approach, as reflected in the presentations of the appropriation Bill, was smug, dangerously complacent and breathtakingly reckless, he said. It sacrificed prudent financial management on the altar of political expediency.
Mr Roche expressed concern about the "inexorable upward increase" in the number of civil servants. The Minister for Finance had told the Dail the increase would be about 600. "There is nothing wrong in recruiting more public servants to provide beneficial services to the people. But it must be remembered that an increase of even one person involves a burden of 40 years."
He understood that between 1994 and 1995 overall public service numbers had risen by around 3,700. If this were so, it meant the "benefits" from the Civil Service redundancy package of some years ago had been wiped out. "We have a problem here because we have to look for something slimmer and much more efficient. That is not indicated by what is happening."
The Bill, which gives statutory effect to departmental estimates for supply services, including all supplementary estimates approved by the Dail since the passing of the last Act, went through the Seanad.
Ms Avril Doyle, Minister of State for Finance, said the Bill covered the original estimate of £10.7 million as voted by the Dail in July, and supplementary estimates of £249 million.
She said an increase of 600 in public service numbers was a small percentage in a total staffing of around 210,000.
Mr Sean Maloney (Lab) made an impassioned appeal for Christmas Mass to be spared from picketing in Harryville, Ballymena.
Noting that the president of the Independent Orange Order had supported demonstrations at the church, Mr Moloney said this was the worst form of religious bigotry that had been witnessed in a long time. "We are now moving into the Christmas season and they are organising themselves to picket people who are trying to go to their places of worship. Even midnight Mass will be homed in on.
"We should ask church leaders, North and South, to see what can he done to bring pressure to bear on such groups. It's an absolute disgrace that it is playing politic with the situation," he said.