Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I want to raise three matters. First, there is an item of legislation on the Government's list, the financial services regulation Bill, which is to modernise financial services legislation in accordance with the Government's better regulation agenda. It is in section C, which is Bills in respect of which heads have yet to be approved by the Government. In view of the week we have just had, will the Tánaiste indicate if it is now intended to accelerate the preparation of that legislation? Also, does the Government intend to take on board the recommendations of the Rasmussen report, which is currently before the European Parliament, the purpose of which is to provide for better regulation of banks and financial institutions throughout the European Union?

Second, while we have been here addressing the financial crisis in the boardrooms of the banks of the country this week there is a financial crisis of a different kind but no less serious around the kitchen tables of the 80,000 extra people who have lost their jobs since this time last year.

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