Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

I refer to discussion on the banking and financial crisis. Will the Minister, Deputy Martin, elaborate on the financial crisis cell established and what is required on the part of each member state? Will there be a formal structure and secretariat? Do I understand correctly that it can be activated by each member state as they see fit, depending on the emergence of a domestic financial crisis or a financial crisis throughout the European Union? Earlier I raised the matter of the Lisbon Agenda and I meant what I said. The Minister should revisit that substantial document produced by the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Finance and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on the Lisbon Agenda and correct it before we become the laughing stock of Europe. It is so outdated that it is pretty much meaningless. It is a 77 or 78 page document which must be transmitted to the European Union by the end of this month and it represents Ireland's analysis of the situation. Each member state must present such an analysis and its plans for the next two years.

Will the Minister comment on immigration and asylum? We should all welcome the idea that there be a common European approach to dealing with the matter, but there are many hazards and pitfalls. Every country has a different asylum system. We have a system of direct provision which has been strongly criticised by human rights organisations. The payment for children and adults has not changed since the system came into existence. Approximately 7,000 people are in the system, a large number considering that the number of asylum seekers has been decreasing every year. A very large percentage have been in the system for three years or more. We must put our house in order in that respect. We have withdrawn funding from various education and integration projects in the budget. I would like the Minister to comment on the immigration and asylum programme that is to be implemented and which will have to be transposed into law before 2010.

I thought that Pat Cox was on the list for the reflection group. The least I had expected was that the Government would put forward some name for it. If we are to have a high powered group looking at where the European Union is going, it is a shame the name of no Irish person has been forward by the Government. Perhaps the Minister might explain why that has not happened.

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